Paul Bender

Paul Bender, Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus, was quoted in a March 18 East Valley Tribune article entitled, “Bills’ failure a setback for supporters of ending birthright citizenship,” by reporter Andrew Hedlund.

The article discussed the failure of two controversial immigration bills, SB1308 and SB1309, to pass the state senate. The bills would have worked together to end birthright citizenship for children born to parents who are here illegally.

Bender explained the importance of the first sentence of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, which was adopted to reverse the 1857 U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Dredd Scott v. Sanford, and guarantee birthright citizenship.

“I think the people who adopted that really meant it—because you are born in the United States, you are a citizen,” Bender said.

To read the entire article, click here.

Bender teaches courses on U.S. and Arizona constitutional law. He has written extensively about constitutional law, intellectual property and Indian law, and is co-author of the two-volume casebook/treatise, Political and Civil Rights in the United States. Bender has argued more than 20 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and actively participates in constitutional litigation in federal and state courts.