Trump administration ending automatic citizenship for US troops' children born abroad
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that children born overseas to American servicemembers and government employees will no longer be granted automatic U.S. citizenship under a new rule slated to go into effect Oct. 29 of this year.
Today USCIS issued guidance that DHS "no longer considers children of U.S. government employees and U.S. armed forces members residing outside the United States as 'residing in the United States' for purposes of acquiring citizenship” --https://t.co/IRNR21Qm4P— Tal Kopan (@TalKopan) August 28, 2019
What are the details?
The policy alert issued by U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services was first reported by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Tal Kopan, and officials confirmed the guideline change to military and veteran-focused publication Task & Purpose.
A USCIS memo explained that the agency "no longer considered children of U.S. government employees and U.S. armed forces members residing outside the United States as 'residing in the United States for purposes of acquiring citizenship.'"
USCIS spokesperson Meredith Parker confirmed to Task & Purpose, "The policy change explains that we will not consider children who live abroad with their parents to be residing in the United States even if their parents are U.S. government employees or U.S. service members stationed outside of the United States, and as a result, these children will no longer be considered to have acquired citizenship automatically."
Parker added, "For them to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship, their U.S. citizen parents must apply for citizenship on their behalf."
Anything else?
The rule change announced Wednesday comes days after President Donald Trump said his administration was "looking at birthright citizenship very seriously," calling the policy "ridiculous."
Bloomberg reported that Trump officials are current analyzing the "correct interpretation" of a provision in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which reads, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
