I’ve been looking for this statute for ages! Somebody posted it on another thread and I wasn’t able to find it again.
To me, if it says “The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:...” it’s defining what qualifies as a natural born citizen. Unfortunately, it looks as if BO would qualify even if he were shown to have been born outside the US, simply because his mother was undeniably a citizen and had lived here two years after the age of 14. I think the law when he was born required 5 or possibly even 10 years, however, so he wouldn’t have been a natural born citizen under that definition (since she was only 17 or 18 when he was born). I wonder if the fact that he didn’t qualify at the time of his birth would have any effect on him now, after the law has changed?
No it would what the law was when he was born...
It was 14 plus five years at that time...
You’d be right, but in 1961, it said five years after age 14. And she was only 18 on BHO’s birth date, August 4, 1961.
Sorry, livius, I read your post too quickly and didn’t even finish it. Yes, if he was born in Kenya, she was too young to pass him citizenship. You’re right. He is covered by the law in effect on August 4, 1961.