WASHINGTON – The Trump administration continues to one-up itself by targeting children born to recent U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents working for the U.S. government abroad or serving in the U.S. Armed Forces overseas.
The policy announced yesterday seems to require these individuals apply for citizenship for their children instead of automatically receiving U.S. citizenship, which adds “second wall” barriers for children born to U.S. residents or citizens serving abroad.
The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and its members condemned the new rules targeting the children in this group. By revising residency requirements and using a policy alert to rewrite immigration laws, the new rules add confusion and panic for U.S. legal residents and naturalized citizens who work or serve overseas.
“As someone who served in the North Carolina National Guard, and brother of a veteran, I am appalled by the Trump administration’s willingness to target this small group of children. The parents of these children have either applied for U.S. citizenship or have been given lawful residency to work for U.S. companies and in some cases serve the U.S. Armed Forces,” said Jose Hernandez-Paris, executive committee member of the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and executive director of the Latin American Coalition. “It is unacceptable for this administration to place “second wall” barriers on those who bravely represent us every day even if it is a small number of individuals.”
This comes just a week after the administration changed policy so it could deport people who are fighting for their lives based on medical conditions and it sought to indefinitely detain children by undermining the minimal protections for detained children and families required by the Flores settlement.
NPNA remains committed to tearing down this “‘second wall,” holding U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accountable to the public and to our national values and encouraging immigrants who are eligible for citizenship to apply as soon as possible.
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