The Child Citizenship Act grants citizen to certain children

Floridians and people across the nation are naturally shaken and concerned given the tumultuous time for immigrants in the United States. Attempts to change established law and prevent people from entering the country are ongoing. This upheaval has even affected those who are citizens of the country. In spite of this troublesome time with many denied admission to the United States, the laws regarding certain issues have not been changed as of yet. One is the Child Citizenship Act.

Passed in 2000, there were certain rules that allowed children to be granted automatic citizenship in the United States if they met certain criteria. Understanding the criteria is key when faced with the random – and potentially illegal – enforcement attempts made by President Donald J. Trump and his relatively new administration.

Beginning in February of 2001, children born outside the U.S. and including those who were adopted and are living in the U.S. permanently are granted automatic citizenship. After it has been determined that the child meets the rules to be declared as such, the following rules must be followed: the child must have a minimum of one parent who is a citizen of the U.S. either by birth or naturalization; the child must be under age 18; he or she must be living in the U.S. at the present time and be in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent; the child must be residing in the U.S. lawfully; and an adopted child must fulfill the requirements for adopted children.

Once citizenship is acquired in the above-listed ways, there is no need to apply for it again. Once a child under 18 has reached these requirements, citizenship is granted from the applicable date and beyond. Since there is a chaotic aspect to the perceive crackdown on illegal immigration and, to some, the attempt to stop those who are in the U.S. legally from exercising their rights, it is imperative to know the law for automatic citizenship for children. If there are questions or concerns about any issue related to child citizenship, a lawyer should be contacted for assistance as soon as possible.

Source: uscis.gov, “The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 — Which Children Automatically Become Citizens Under the New Law?,” accessed on April 4, 2017