What would you do if you LOST your CITIZENSHIP?

[AviatorTom]

This is the story of a 61 year old doctor who lives in Virginia, United States. He sent his US passport in for renewal, which he had done many times in the past. Rather than receive a new passport, he received a notice from the US State Department hat he is not an American citizen.

Though he was born in the United States, his father was an Iranian diplomat at the time, making the original issuance of a US passport (and making him a US citizen) a mistake.

He is now in limbo... not an American citizen and not a citizen of any other country. He is trying to figure out how that affects him, his medical practice, his Social Security, etc.; can he legally stay in the US?

Here is the Washington Post story.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/25/virginia-doctor-passport-citizenship-nightmare/

If you suddenly lost your citizenship, how would you feel? What would you do?

[TonyMetal___86]

Try to make a movement and protests against the government who took this oppressing decision...
Try my best to use my communications with high ranks officials in the country, will go on the news and social media to share my story... etc

If i was a president of a country, i'd never let such decisions pass by, cause no one have the right to ruin a person's life just like that out of nothing, why am i hurting someone who have never hurt me or hurt anyone else or did something illegal or against the law?

At least if you want to strip someone from his citizenship, make sure that he have another one from another country...

[WindAtMyBack]

That's a pretty biog screw-up. They should just give him a citizenship. There really isn't any other humane option.

If it happened to me? I'm not against going off grid and getting an income that's, um, not quite legal.

[sage2021]

Maybe he will be one of the few illegals that will actually have to study for the test, and take the test to become an American 🇺🇸 citizen like my mother had to do. What's wrong with doing it the right way for a change instead of just walking into the US and have rights to even get an ID/driver's license.
This man, just because he is a doctor should go and earn his citizenship to be a US citizen. Foreigner's are just so used to getting everything handed to them without lifting a finger. He can take the darn test and he should be made aware of that instead of trying to beat the system.

[PrincessBunBuns]

Ik you're out of touch because you're old, but becoming a citizen can be a decade long process… even for permanent resident.

[sage2021]

@PrincessBunBuns

The only reason it takes so long to take the test and become an American 🇺🇸 the legal way is because we have too many fricken people! It's called wait in line. Something you probably wouldn't know about because you're the young pushy instant gratification types who don't think they should wait for ANYTHING!
Yes, it does take years, but he was trying to take advantage of the system to see how long he could get away with it because of who his father is.
Illegals have to wait around 7 years for a court date to try to become an American 🇺🇸 citizen. He should have started the process sooner but he thought he was special. Now he can wait!

To rent a place to live where I live, the waiting lines are at least two years.
I'm sure my mom had to wait a long time as well.

[Anonymous]

The article is inaccessible, but if his father was a diplomat (or, more correctly, ambassador) then he would have been born in the Iranian Embassy in the U. S., which is considered to be Iranian soil, not U. S., and therefore he would be an Iranian citizen only, then and now.

What I don't understand is, we don't have diplomatic relations with Iran, so we don't have an ambassador and we don't have an embassy. Normally if a person is born in the U. S. under any circumstances, he is a U. S. citizen, but because we intentionally cut diplomatic ties with Iran, he cannot ever be.

[AviatorTom]

He is 61 years old. Back when he was born, the US had good relations with Iran. The Shah of Iran was a US ally in the Middle East. It wasn't until the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s, when teh Shah was deposed, that US-Iran relations soured.

[DryGermanGuy]

Why would someone be born in the actual embassy unless by total accident? That’s what a hospital is for!

[OlderAndWiser]

My family has been in this country since at least November 21, 1620, and probably earlier, so I cannot fathom that ever happening to me.

[nonyabeez-wax]

Sounds like an easy correction. If it can be corrected no other way, he can take the citizenship test.

How I would I feel about it? well, one cannot just "lose" ones citizenship. Maybe if we were under a monarchy and "banishment" was still a thing, but its not. You have to commit a very specific crime, to lose your citizenship, which usually the punishment for said crime, is firing squad or hanging.

So if I were to "lose" my citizenship, of which I have a birthright due to my family being here for generations, and in fact one line of mine can be traced bact to the Mayflower, another to a native tribe, to lose my citizenship one day, would not be random. In order for me to commit the crime in question to warrent such an action by the government, would mean that the U. S. government is not only treasonous in it's own right, but has declared war on myself and my fellow Americans.

[purplepoppy]

Surely given the doctor's circumstances that can't be hard to put right. Sounds like an overzealous clerk to me.

Normally in the uk they'd export you back where you came from but now they're looking to send you to Rwanda. Given I'm not a citizen of anywhere and prone to sunburn I'd be shitting myself.

[butterly248]

Cruella's fault 😕

[ObscuredBeyond]

Very tricky. But if they're adamant that I can't stay, I'd be brushing up on Spanish and consider moving to Chile. If I can find work there, learn enough of the language to survive, and get my studio back up and running, while living in those cool mountain regions that look a lot like Montana, I'd be able to recuperate a life for myself of some kind.

But that would be a very bizarre situation indeed.

[jennifer_bloom]

I think America has an investor policy so if you loan a certain amount of money to the American government, you can buy citizenship. His issue is not impossible to resolve if he is willing to pay $100,000+ in lost interest money on his loan to the American government to buy citizenship.

[jshm2]

I am dual national, so it doesn't matter if I lose one.

As for the article (if it is even legit). He is eligible for compensation as citizenship, regardless of how it is granted, may only be withdrawn by a court of law. That it was granted by mistake and not fraud, means it is the error of the department and their processes.

[Nifrayu]

As some born in my country I don't even think it's possible for me. Not without changes to the law.

As for how I would feel. Not sure. I've never felt a sense of loyalty to country. That's always been a bizarre concept for me. I guess it depends on how it would actually effect me.

[CaptainSmartass]

Not that it would ever be an issue for me, but I'd send the government this little bad boy and MAKE them give me it back.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1141520/N20_web_0514_save.pdf

Simples...

[NathanDavis]

I'll just use my second one...

if I lose both... I'll get a third one, lol

[AviatorTom]

@NathanDavis Most people only have one citizenship, you are fortunate. And many countries require you to renounce your other citizenship to become a citizen of their country. How do you do that when you have no citizenship to renounce? It's an interesting (and sad) conundrum.

[NathanDavis]

Mexico is very welcoming in that regard, especially with USA national... you can hold dual nationality

if you had none, then you can apply under humanitarian cases

[sawno]

Thats insanely difficult to recover from because countries do not have procedures for it and don't consider you one of their citizens. But i'd be putting pressure on the government organizations to give me citizenship back in any means I can.

[sawno]

For those interested there is also a hacker who talks about digitally killing someone and the implications of it. It touches a bit on this topic to : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FdHq3WfJgs

[Anonymous]

Don’t know about the business part but the federal government is all about letting illegal aliens do what ever they want. (Unless they think you will oppose socialism) they will let illegals have anything. It’s us legal citizens that are getting the short end of the stick.

[Constatine]

Oh I can't emagine { is that the right word) what he is going through.

I will hide... I guess living the live I have now.. Only more dedicated.. Out in the wilderness..

I'm not a doctor so I could. Be he is loosing everything he worked hard for..

[menina]

This is really complicated, but hopefully there's a solution for him.

I wouldn't be to worried, as long I kept my "original" citizenship.

[Avicenna]

I have a second one, and even I lost that one I'd still be able to get a residence and work visa since I am the father of minor children who are citizens of that country.

[Avicenna]

Incidentally, Iran is a country that does not allow its citizens to renounce their citizenship.

[rigmarole]

I guess the Democrats would put me up in a 5 star hotel, give me a cell phone, a monthly check, etc.

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

I guess I’d just be an illegal… whats one More illegal person in the US🤷‍♀️

[IslaTheWitch]

I have three. Which one we are talking about? :D

[Snakeyes7]

I'd say run off to a sanctuary city where he can not only stay but he can be a leech on the American taxpayer for the rest of his life.

Or just move somewhere else.

I'm surprised the government suddenly gave a shit whether or not he was a citizen.

[MackBoy]

America is so corrupt and no wonder they are so greed of money by creating wars to sell arms. it is better that china or russia rules the world because they don't squander the peoples money and they try to develop their country and other nation as well. ukrainian war is created by america and gaza war also created by america.

[Andres77]

Man Without a Country should be required reading for every school. AND there should be a similar penalty in existence now.

[Andres77]

Wait, would that mean that I wouldn’t have to pay taxes?

[Anonymous]

You can buy a new citizenship no biggie. Some countries sell it for a small investment. A citizenship is actually a lie created by the system. And there is always a way to deal with a lie. I am from Egypt and i lived my whole life in egypt so all my ancestors. I dont need some paperwork to tell me so. But just in case plan for an investment

[Unit1]

The very definition of your life being a lie.

[Unit1]

I can simply apply for a renewal of my personal identification document, although it would be hard to do since I don't have a birth certificate in my possession.
Or I can sign up as someone without a citizenship in the country and resume life like normal. I'm in good hands here.

[FunkyMonkee]

Go to Mexico and sneak back in as an illegal so I can get shitloads of cash, free housing, medical, food, a phone and all the other good stuff those illegals are getting to suck us dry of!

[strateguy632]

i would feel shocked. i would ask the embassy what i can do. probably go to one of my parents countries. ma or pa or gramps?

[JacobJordan]

celebrate since it would make getting citizenship in another country easier and I am leaving the US anyways. country is toast no point being here for the mess

[DARKCLOUD1945X]

Go to the border give a bullshit name and address and get let into the country and get free food free medical transportation to anywhere in the country be put up in a five star hotel get a stipend. WHO! HAS IT BETTER. I know I do not

[msc545]

I would buy citizenship in another country and leave this hellhole.

[Jersey2]

I would reach out to my congressman and see if I could be voted US citizenship by congress or by another way such as preferential treatment via the citizenship route.

[robocop666]

well I am in the EU. Its a failing empire but I can go elsewhere

[butterly248]

Just anywhere inside the EU lol

[dolemite58]

i wouldn’t mind being a citizen in mexico instead 🤷‍♂️

[Drewtate]

He can earn it by serving in the us military or moving to Iran.

[Mansearching]

I don't do anything that would jeopardize that.

[tfan1]

Can’t happen to me. I was born in 78 here in the USA 🇺🇸 👍🙂.

[Fuentes]

I mean he's Good regardless Biden hss open borders so he will have all the time in the world to figure it out and get it fixed lol

[captain_voidwalker]

I don't know celebrate? These days non citizens are treated better than American citizens.

[AnusNdaPainus]

back to Argentina I go…

[ThrillSeeker01]

Move to a better place.

[BLP11520]

Never going to happen.

[exitseven]

This guy would be just the

[exitseven]

type of person the Biden administration would deport. He is an educated person that pays taxes and is not a criminal or on welfare He most likely will vote for President Trump.

[love_conquers_lust]

Apply for citizenship