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US Citizenship
I just have to say that I think Trump's position on Cruz's birthplace making him ineligible for POTUS is pure crazy. Cruz was born in Calgary, Canada to American parents. The law says that a person must be a "natural born citizen" to be president.
But, I guess the issue is how we define "natural born citizen."
What gets me though, is my mom was born in Montreal, Canada to two American citizens...so if we call into question Cruz's citizenship, then don't we have to question every person born abroad to two American parents? My BFF was born in Saudia Arabia to two American citizens. Many missionaries from the U.S. bear children abroad. Are they not citizens?
American citizens don't vacate their citizenship of the U.S. by working or living abroad, so I think it stands to reason that any child born to them while outside the USA would also receive their parents' status as Americans.
If not, what a chaotic mess!
Re: US Citizenship
"Ted Cruz was born in Canada and was a Canadian citizen until 15 months ago. Lawsuits have just been filed with more to follow. I told you so!"
Lawsuits. Wow!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause
I've always assumed a natural born citizen is one who is either born on American soil or, if born out of the country, has at least one parent who is an American. For example, my friend was in the Navy and stationed in Japan when her daughter was born. And she was not born on the base (which I think is technically American soil), she was born in Japanese hospital.
So...wouldn't that be ludicrous for an AMERICAN SOLDIER'S child born overseas to not be considered a natural born citizen? Of course it would.
In regards to Obama, never mind that Hawaii is a frickin' state (though I'm thinking maybe that wasn't the issue). With that said, even people born in U.S. territories...like Guam or Puerto Rico...are also natural born citizens.
I saw an article just now that Ted Cruz might be going to court to ascertain his eligibility to run for President because he was born in Canada. Apparently his mother is a U.S. citizen, but not his father. According to the article, the Constitution never defines what a "natural born citizen" is. Everyone agrees a person born in this country falls under that category. And an immigrant U.S. citizen, born in another country where neither parent is a U.S. citizen, does not. But the third category that Cruz falls under is a question that, until now, has never really come up. Here is the link:
http://www.vox.com/2016/2/18/11058038/ted-cruz-court
I've always felt there was a piece I was missing from all that. He was born in Hawaii, ergo he is a natural born citizen. I never understood the fuss. I don't know what the "HR" and "new hire paperwork" is for an incoming President or someone becoming a serious candidate, but either these things are checked and he turned a copy of his birth certificate into the proper agency or they aren't checked and then he would not be required to do that just like no other President before him was required to.
But let me know if I am missing something. I'm not saying that snarky. I just truly never understood what people were getting a foothold on with it.
Cruz's father was born in Cuba and fled that country to come here. I'm not sure when he met Mrs. Cruz. And, I'm not sure when Mr. Cruz Senior (or if) he became a U.S. Citizen.
Example: if a military person meets a local native to another country and they get married and live in that other nation and they start a family, wouldn't their children get dual citizenship?
That seems likely and also fair. The kids would be part American and part whatever other nationality and should have the citizenship of both their parents.
Cruz came out of an American woman's body, on foreign soil. The base question is this: what determines your citizenship...the GROUND you're born on OR the womb from which you come?
What if a woman goes into labor on a 767 over the Pacific, but it's a British airline on which they are flying? In international airspace? Born to an U.S. woman and a Canadian father? Delivered by an Indian doctor on board at the same time. And, aided by two flight attendants hailing from Wales and Scotland. LOL. The kid needs to retain the citizenship of its parents, otherwise we have too many citizenship birthright questions.