Ron Paul: End Student Visas For Foreigners

According to this ad, Ron Paul would end birthright citizenship and stop granting visas to students from "terrorist nations." Justin Raimondo calls the ad "disgraceful" and "absolutely wrong."

I agree. But ending student visas to brown people those from terrorist nations (like Pakistan? India? Cuba? Iran?) is a message that should resonate with many Americans. It simultaneously pushes two buttons that are very hot right now: first, and most obviously, the terrorism button. Second, and more subtly, the "foreigners are invading America and stealing all the jobs" button.

Now, I know that those who come to the United States on student visas don't usually stay in the country. But do most Americans know that? Or do they instead suspect that the brown people foreigners coming to the U.S. to study are really planning on taking up permanent residence, yanking one more job away from the beleaguered American middle class?

I wonder. There's a case to be made that so-called "fast track" visa programs should be ended, or at least subject to more scrutiny. As I recall, some of the 9/11 hijackers got into the country through such programs. But halting visas to all students from any terrorist nation is extreme, and would not stop terrorists from striking U.S. interests.

It is, however, the kind of position that appeals to bigots and reactionaries. With the withdrawal of Tom Tancredo from the race, maybe Ron Paul was trying to pick up some of his now homeless supporters.

I'm not even going to go into how misguided the idea of ending birthright citizenship is; perhaps Ron Paul would like to repeal all of the 14th Amendment, instead of just the Equal Protection clause?