It's sad enough that Congress' anti-immigration advocates propose outrageous ideas such as putting up miles of fencing along the Rio Grande to hermetically seal the U.S.-Mexico border.

Now those advocates — led by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R.-Colo. — have come up with another ridiculous scheme. They're targeting the babies of undocumented immigrants.

Since 1868, the 14th Amendment has declared that "all persons born" in the United States, with no distinction given to their parents' national origin, are citizens.

Tancredo wants Congress to take that birthright away. He claims babies are used as anchors for the undocumented to build American into their families.

The logic goes that the "anchor babies," once they turn 18, ultimately petition for the rest of the family to join them legally in America. But that's long been their right.

To change that would require a constitutional amendment that would criminalize what is a very humane way for legal immigration to take place.

In fact, much of the dynamic and diverse strength of this country was built precisely this way.

A change is unnecessary. If there are specific cases of immigration fraud they can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Family unification through birthright citizenship makes perfect sense.

Stripping away such a Constitutional birthright is worse than stealing candy from a baby.