United States citizenship, which means the recognition of a person with political and social rights as a U.S. national, has been denied as an automatic condition for children of military members and government employees working overseas.
As of today, U.S. authorities will not expressly recognize the children of ambassadors and military workers serving abroad, a situation that, according to analysts, undermines the concept of “extraterritoriality” of diplomatic missions and will leave an indeterminate number of children of U.S. citizens adrift.
Under international law, diplomatic workers outside the country are protected by extraterritorial status, in addition to the laws of the country they represent. In this case, the Trump administration authorities have placed a “new rule,” in which it is not enough to be the child of Americans in foreign service to aspire to citizenship.
The new policy will enter into effect today, for the time being, the number of people potentially affected is unknown.
So far, the government considered children born to U.S. parents abroad, to be “residing in the United States,” because their parents worked on U.S. military bases or diplomatic delegations.
From now on, children will not automatically be considered U.S. citizens and their parents will have to begin a process for the Executive to grant them, a process they must complete before their child turns 18, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said.
The new regulation has established, an important “set” of exceptions and rules that will be handled in each case by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
The changes will not affect children whose two parents are U.S. citizens, as long as at least one parent lives in the country.
Nor will children who meet the following condition be affected: have married parents, one being a U.S. citizen and the other a national of a foreign country.
These changes are part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce the flow of immigrants into the country.
Earlier this month, the Administration presented a regulation that will allow the rejection of residence permits granted to immigrants that the authorities consider a “public charge” for the United States.
With this new rule, the Trump Government will also reduce the number of legal immigrants allowed to enter and reside in the country by facilitating the rejection of applications for green cards or some visas.
Translated by: José Espinoza
Noticias Newswire
