Professor Chin Interviewed on Al Jazeera America on Presidential Eligibility Requirements

Professor Gabriel "Jack" Chin was interviewed on the Al Jazeera America program Inside Story, answering questions about Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz's eligibility for the White House.  The Texas senator was born in Canada, leading some to question whether he meets the constitutional requirement that the president be a "natural born citizen."

Professor Chin explained that the "natural born citizen" requirement was probably intended to safeguard against a foreign country's attempt to manipulate elections in the United States.  "I think the framers were afraid that some European power would send over a Manchurian candidate type that would charm the American people and attain the presidency, but who wouldn't really be loyal to the United States," said Chin. "I think they had a fear of foreign incursions, foreign machinations, and so they wanted to make sure that the president was born in the United States.

Professor Chin also said that because the term "natural born citizen" has no clear definition, it should probably be dropped. "I think we could just get rid of it, and just say you have to be a citizen the way we do with other federal offices," he said.

Gabriel "Jack" Chin, who joined the King Hall faculty in 2011, is a prolific and much-cited criminal and immigration law scholar whose work has addressed many of the most pressing social issues of our time.