Resume SCOTUS Q&A: Lynch v. Clark, exceptions, and congressional power
Episode Summary
As we wrap a two‑day listen‑along to last week’s Supreme Court oral arguments on birthright citizenship, I walk through the core fault lines: allegiance versus domicile, what “subject to the jurisdiction” meant in 1868, and whether the Fourteenth Amendment’s exceptions are truly a closed set. We revisit United States v. Wong Kim Ark and the English common‑law roots of jus soli; examine how advocates leaned on Lynch v. Clarke and Ludlam v. Ludlam; and test hypotheticals about ambassadors, tribal nations, and unlawful presence. Callers jump in with sharp historical context—from the Know‑Nothing era and Reconstruction to Slaughter‑House, Plessy, and Brown—while we keep our eye on what a modern ruling could mean for families, states, and Congress’ Section 5 power.We also take a few minutes for show housekeeping—where to find the live stream, replays, and call‑in line—and set the table for an open forum on practical implications once the Court rules. If you missed part of the argument, these notes link the key cases and resources so you can trace every thread we discussed.'American Civil Liberties Union – Cecillia Wang (bio)': https://www.aclu.org/bio/cecillia-wang'United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) – Oyez': https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/169us649'United States v. Wong Kim Ark – Justia (full opinion)': https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/169/649/'Afroyim v. Rusk (1967) – Justia': https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/387/253/'Slaughter‑House Cases (1873) – Oyez': https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/83us36'Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – Oyez': https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537'Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – Oyez': https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483'Civil Rights Act of 1866 – Cornell Law (TOPN entry)': https://www.law.cornell.edu/topn/civil_rights_act_of_1866'Fourteenth Amendment – Cornell Law (LII)': https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv'Lynch v. Clarke (N.Y. Ch. 1844) – Midpage (case text)': https://app.midpage.ai/case/lynch-v-clarke-5550655'Ludlam v. Ludlam (N.Y. 1863) – CaseMine (opinion)': https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914ab79add7b049347352ff'Know‑Nothing Party – Britannica overview': https://www.britannica.com/topic/Know-Nothing-party'Euro Folk Radio (syndication platform)': https://eurofolkradio.com/'Global Voice Radio Network (network site)': https://www.globalvoiceradio.net/'Radio Soapbox (platform)': https://radiosoapbox.com/'SoapboxTV (video platform instance)': https://soapboxtv.net/'FreeConferenceCall (live call‑in service)': https://www.freeconferen
