REPS. LIEU, GALLEGO AND CORREA INTRODUCE BILL TO PRESERVE CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN OF MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS

WASHINGTON– Today, Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles County), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) introduced a bill to nullify recent policy changes from the Trump administration that would strip automatic citizenship rights from certain children of U.S. military service members and government employees who are born abroad.

Under the new policy, children of service members and government employees who are born abroad would not be automatically considered U.S. citizens, and will instead be required to undergo a complicated application process.

The Protecting Children of Public Servants and Service Members Abroad Act would nullify these policy changes and preserve the citizenship rights of these children.

Rep. Ted Lieu said, "Trump's decision to make it harder for some children of American government and military personnel born abroad to establish American citizenship is a total policy failure. The President's disjointed and incoherent immigration policies hurt Americans and fail to address what are critical immigration policy needs. Why would a policy that penalizes families serving the United States abroad ever be a good idea? With this bill, we're once again endeavoring to stop the President from implementing a policy that will hurt Americans. I'm grateful that Rep. Gallego is leading the charge."

Rep. Ruben Gallego said, "The people who sacrifice so much to serve our nation at home and overseas deserve certainty that their children's citizenship will not be in doubt. The Trump administration's cruel new policy is the first step in President Trump's crusade to eliminate birthright citizenship and serves no purpose other than to play to his most xenophobic supporters. Congress should take immediate action to pass our bill to preserve the citizenship rights of children born to our military personnel and government employees serving our country abroad."

Rep. Lou Correa said, "We cannot forget about the immigrant families who join our armed forces to defend the nation they love. The Administration's new rule randomly ignores their sacrifice and punishes them for choosing to serve their nation. Anyone willing to put on the uniform and go into harm's way for our nation deserves to be treated with respect and dignity."

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