Birthright Citizenship: The Vulnerability and Resilience of an American Constitutional Principle
Birthright Citizenship: The Vulnerability and Resilience of an American Constitutional Principle
This chapter examines definitions of birthright citizenship under the United States constitution. Although jus soli is the main system through which most Americans claim their citizenship, jus sanguinis is another system of claiming citizenship by people born outside the United States via law of blood. The chapter explores practices defining the selection process of children born outside the United States for US citizenship, as well as the questions of protection and belonging that these practices raise. Several appeals have been made to the US federal courts for improvement in the birthright citizenship law.
Keywords: birthright citizenship, jus soli, jus sanguinis, law of blood, federal courts
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