18 Jun 2018

American Samoan US Citizenship case appeal for intervention

3:32 pm on 18 June 2018

The American Samoa Government and the territory's Congresswoman are asking a Utah federal court in Salt Lake City to allow them to intervene in a citizenship legal case.

Three American Samoans have filed a lawsuit against the US government arguing they are entitled to US citizenship under the constitution because they were born in American Samoa which is a US territory.

The territorial government and Congresswoman Aumua Amata are arguing the case poses questions of exceptional importance to the American Samoan people.

They say a similar individual case went all the way to the US Supreme Court in 2016 but was not heard.

Lawyers for the American Samoa Government and the Congresswoman say they are the best representatives to pursue the matter as the outcome will have a huge impact on the territory's people.

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