Citizenship Issues
Every year about 60,000 children are born overseas to a US citizen parent. Of these, 90% acquire US citizenship at birth while 10% do not. These are children born abroad who are not able to claim citizenship because their parent or parents have not met the “residence” and/or “presence” requirements. The right to a nationality at birth is one of the most fundamental of human rights, as it opens the door to membership in our society and all other related rights. It is obvious that 6,000 children each year deserve better treatment. ACA is continuing its support of revised legislation to make it easier to transmit US citizenship to children born or adopted abroad.
Legislative Efforts
Legislation has been introduced that would address the issues of citizenship passage for US citizens parents and help millions of families of U.S. citizens that have been separated or face separation by spousal immigration denials or deportations. The American Families United Act (H.R. 2920) https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2920?s=1&r=3 ACA supports this legislation. See ACA's letter here.
History of Child's Citizenship
US citizenship laws have changed continuously over the years. Elsewhere on this website you will find a chronology of these changes since 1790.