National
8 U.S. Code § 1101(a)(21) As defined by the INA, all U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals, but only a relatively small number of persons acquire U.S. nationality without becoming U.S. citizens. Section 101(a)(21) of the INA defines the term “national” as “a person owing permanent allegiance to a state.” https://www.govregs.com/uscode/title8_chapter12_subchapterI_section1101 (21) The term “national” means […]
Downes vs. Bidwell
As observed by the U.S. Supreme court, we have in effect two distinct national governments. One restricted by the constitution, and the other not. Nationals have the Constitutional protections while U.S. Citizens do not. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/182/244/The idea prevails with some -- indeed, it found expression in arguments at the bar -- that we have in this […]
Is a U.S. National the same as a national?
A U.S. National is not the same as a national. While both terms refer to allegiance, a U.S. National has allegiance to the United States, while a national has allegiance to a state. A U.S. National specifically includes U.S. citizens and certain non-citizen nationals. In contrast, a national, in a broader sense, does not refer […]
Voting as a national
As a national, the process of participating in elections can be quite different compared to being a U.S. citizen. Nationals may face challenges when trying to vote, as many election officials may not be familiar with the concept of national political status. Voting is often viewed as a privilege reserved for U.S. citizens, which can […]
National of the United States
Section 101(a)(22) of the INA provides that the term “national of the United States” includes all U.S. citizens as well as persons who, though not citizens of the United States, owe permanent allegiance to the United States (non-citizen nationals). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:8%20section:1101%20edition:prelim)Section 22: The term "national of the United States" means (A) a citizen of the United […]