Two years ago, I had a long drunken conversation about this subject with a lawyer here in Japan that sometimes handles immigration issues. He said that there are a number of ways in which an American can lose his/her citizenship wihtout specifically renouncing it, and one of those ways is to accept and use a passport from a nation that does not recognize dual citizenship.
Since Indonesia does not, if Obama ever traveled anywhere under an Indonesian passport, he had lost his American citizenship at that point, regardless of where he was born.
Further, it was that lawyer’s opinion that even if he had regained American citizenship through the naturalization process afterwards, he would still be ineligible for the Presidency because at that point he would be a naturalized US citizen, not a natural born citizen, even if he had been born in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House.
Very interesting.
Since Indonesia does not, if Obama ever traveled anywhere under an Indonesian passport, he had lost his American citizenship at that point, regardless of where he was born.
Further, it was that lawyer’s opinion that even if he had regained American citizenship through the naturalization process afterwards, he would still be ineligible for the Presidency because at that point he would be a naturalized US citizen, not a natural born citizen, even if he had been born in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House.
Do not use that lawyer for any immigration issues. He does not know what he is talking about.
See:ACTION S.A. and Deltamar Establishment, vs MARC RICH & CO., INC. and Marc Rich,
http://openjurist.org/951/f2d/504/action-sa-v-marc-rich-and-co-inc
Marc Rich (Yes, THAT Marc Rich) tried to weasel out of a lawsuit on the basis that he had acquired Spanish citizenship and renounced his US citizenship. The court held that while he had indeed done the above two acts he had continued to present himself as an American, and used his American passport, therefore he had never intended to give up his American citizenship.
Under current law, you CANNOT "lose" your American citizenship by accident, you must explicitly renounce it, and act in a manner consistent with that renouncement.
A parent cannot renounce it for a minor either. Nor can an Indonesian law strip an American of his citizenship.
US law acknowledges, grudgingly, dual citizenship, but does not really recognize it. An American is an American, period, regardless of what another country may say. The only partial exception is if an American dual citizen is in the other nation he is a citizen of, in which case the United States can't offer consular assistance.
Dodge, read Ronin’s comment right below yours.
Is there any evidence that Obama held an Indonesian passport as an adult?
bfl
Standard birfer guano. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.