US EditionA US Territory’s Colonial History Emerges in State Disputes over Voting and Citizenship
- Alaska prosecutors filed felony charges against 11 Whittier residents born in American Samoa for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship when voting.
- This legal action follows disputes over birthright citizenship, as American Samoa residents uniquely lack automatic citizenship despite US jurisdiction for 125 years.
- American Samoa remains the only US territory where birth does not confer citizenship, leading to restrictions like disqualification from holding office, as experienced by Sai Timoteo.
- The 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2021 against extending birthright citizenship to American Samoans, stating forced citizenship would be wrong if unwanted.
- The case highlights tensions around US citizenship definition and voting rights, with officials noting administrative corrections may be possible amid broader political debates.
44 Articles
44 Articles
History of U.S. territory arises in state disputes
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Associated Press News
A US territory's colonial history emerges in state disputes over voting and citizenship
A criminal case in Alaska involving nearly a dozen people born in American Samoa is highlighting concerns about birthright citizenship and voting by people who are not U.S. citizens, issues that have been prominent in the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Located between the glacier-filled mountains and the Strait of Prince William of Alaska, the port of Whittier is so isolated that it can only be reached by a long one-lane tunnel, just as vehicles share with trains. It is so small that almost all of its 260 residents live in the same 14-story residential building.
Lu s King Torgal believes that there must be in the monuments information or fact about the role of these people in the rich hit process.
The Diary of the Overseas, with Edwige Saint-Thomas.
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