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Citizen BirthRight Claim Dismissed

Posted: Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 at 5:01 pm

While the American Samoa region is considered a legal territory in the United States, citizens born in that area are not United States citizen.  People residing in the American Samoa region are referred to as “US Nationals.”
Recently, Leneuoti Tuaua and four American Samoan residents and the Samoan Federation of America challenged the US District Court for the District Of Columbia to grant them 14th Amendment rights. The Samoan Federation of America is a non-profit organization that represents American Samoans living in Los Angeles, California.  The 14th Amendment is referred to as the “citizenship clause.”  This amendment declares “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside” will have the rights of citizenship.  US Congreassmean Faleomavaega supported Tuana and the other planitiffs in their quest to gain US citizen status.
Since the 14th Amendment has upheld the rights for citizens in US territories such as: Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Island, the 5
individuals and the Samoan Federation of America wanted to be granted US citizenship rights.
The battle over citizenship was not favorable for Tuana and other American Samoans who wanted to fully embrace the rights of an American citizen. “(So) long as American Samoa in U.S. soil, I continue to believe that the Constitution guarantees my family the right to citizenship, ” stated Tuana after the verdict.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Cohen ruled on behalf the defendants listed in the case.  The defendants were: United States, the State Department, the Secretary of State and the Assistant of State for Consumer Affairs.
“To date, Congress has not seen fit to bestow birthright citizenship upon American Samoa, and in accordance with the law, this Court must and will respect that choice, ” Cohen said during his ruling.

While the American Samoa region is considered a legal territory in the United States, citizens born in that area are not United States citizen.  People residing in the American Samoa region are referred to as “US Nationals.”

Recently, Leneuoti Tuaua and four American Samoan residents and the Samoan Federation of America challenged the US District Court for the District Of Columbia to grant them 14th Amendment rights. The Samoan Federation of America is a non-profit organization that represents American Samoans living in Los Angeles, California.  The 14th Amendment is referred to as the “citizenship clause.”  This amendment declares “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside” will have the rights of citizenship.  US Congreassmean Faleomavaega supported Tuana and the other planitiffs in their quest to gain US citizen status.

Since the 14th Amendment has upheld the rights for citizens in US territories such as: Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Island, the 5 individuals and the Samoan Federation of America wanted to be granted US citizenship rights.

The battle over citizenship was not favorable for Tuana and other American Samoans who wanted to fully embrace the rights of an American citizen. “(So) long as American Samoa in U.S. soil, I continue to believe that the Constitution guarantees my family the right to citizenship, ” stated Tuana after the verdict.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Cohen ruled on behalf the defendants listed in the case.  The defendants were: United States, the State Department, the Secretary of State and the Assistant of State for Consumer Affairs.

“To date, Congress has not seen fit to bestow birthright citizenship upon American Samoa, and in accordance with the law, this Court must and will respect that choice, ” Cohen said during his ruling.

 

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