If the original US Constitution would have explicitly prohibited naturalized citizens from serving in Congress/SCOTUS/Cabinet, how long until repeal?

[WolfBear]

If the original US Constitution would have explicitly prohibited naturalized citizens from serving in Congress/SCOTUS/Cabinet, how long would it have taken for this hypothetical provision of the original US Constitution to get repealed? Or would it have survived up to the present-day just like the natural-born citizen requirement for the US Presidency did?

Thoughts on this, @Ricardolindo @raharris1973 @Zyobot @stevep @Skallagrim @Circle of Willis @Earl @Atarlost?

 

[Atarlost]

It would not have been amended. Amendments require either a constitutional convention or a senate vote. Senators would be happy not to face competition and the alternate mechanism for amendment has never been used.

 

[WolfBear]

It would not have been amended. Amendments require either a constitutional convention or a senate vote. Senators would be happy not to face competition and the alternate mechanism for amendment has never been used.

Not even the 1960s civil rights movement would result in a successful push to change this?

 

[Atarlost]

Not even the 1960s civil rights movement would result in a successful push to change this?

No. No amendments were passed from the civil rights movement. Why should native born blacks concern themselves with naturalized aliens not being able to hold federal office more than the ERA? And the ERA didn't get ratified by enough states to pass until long after its deadline. Something opening up federal office to naturalized aliens just means it is more likely to founder in congress and not even get to the states.

 

[WolfBear]

No. No amendments were passed from the civil rights movement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#:~:text=The%20Twenty%2Dfourth%20Amendment%20(Amendment,or%20other%20types%20of%20tax

 

[Atarlost]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#:~:text=The%20Twenty%2Dfourth%20Amendment%20(Amendment,or%20other%20types%20of%20tax

I'd forgotten that wasn't done during reconstruction.

I still don't think anyone would be sympathetic enough about naturalized aliens to push any change through. American blacks are nearly all natural born citizens and first generation African immigrants have a different identity.

Immigrants are an economic threat to lower and middle class natives. European immigrants from previous waves took on anti-immigrant stances when later waves came from different European nationalities. This would be even more pronounced between blacks and whites or hispanics than between whites and whites with different accents.

 

[WolfBear]

I'd forgotten that wasn't done during reconstruction.

I still don't think anyone would be sympathetic enough about naturalized aliens to push any change through. American blacks are nearly all natural born citizens and first generation African immigrants have a different identity.

Immigrants are an economic threat to lower and middle class natives. European immigrants from previous waves took on anti-immigrant stances when later waves came from different European nationalities. This would be even more pronounced between blacks and whites or hispanics than between whites and whites with different accents.

What about if the US will switch to a merit-based immigration system?

 

[Atarlost]

What about if the US will switch to a merit-based immigration system?

Nothing. This isn't about foreigners being lesser. It's about them being foreigners.

 

[WolfBear]

Nothing. This isn't about foreigners being lesser. It's about them being foreigners.

A foreigner who has US citizenship for 35+ years is very assimilated, though.

 

[Atarlost]

A foreigner who has US citizenship for 35+ years is very assimilated, though.

You're not thinking like a nativist. And those who would face more electoral competition from immigrants would be very eager to think like nativists.

 

[WolfBear]

You're not thinking like a nativist. And those who would face more electoral competition from immigrants would be very eager to think like nativists.

They might also want more immigrant votes, though.