B.3(a). Nationality

All Citizens have the unqualified Right to claim the United States as their nationality.

Nationality is the heart of what it means to be a citizen. Every person on the planet has the universal Human Right to nationality. This isn't a new concept. It comes directly from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations.[1] The United States helped champion its release.[2] "Unqualified" means this Right has no prerequisites that have to be met for the right to be active. That's because, by definition, as a Citizen, you have the right to claim your country of Citizenship as your nationality. Your nationality can't be stripped. And, while it can be surrendered, your Citizenship can't be involuntarily stripped, either. If nationality or Citizenship can be revoked, then how, and who decides? If a Citizen broke a law, by all means punish them, but you can't take their nationality. Today, you might do that because they lied on their naturalization form. Tomorrow, it may simply be because the Department of State disagrees with their political positions. Maybe they said something that offended the President. Nationality is fundamental, so it simply can't be subject to removal - not with care and not on a whim.

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[1] Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A.A. Res. 217 (III) A, U.N. Doc. A/RES/217 (III) (Dec 10, 1948), Art. 15. “Everyone has the right to a nationality.”

[2] Eleanor Roosevelt chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights (1946-1952) that drafted the UDHR. She was widely regarded as the driving force behind the Declaration’s creation and adoption. The U.S. voted enthusiastically in favor of the Declaration in the General Assembly. The Soviet Bloc, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa abstained.