U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Barack Obama Citizenship Case

This just comes to show that sometimes it does not matter who you are, your Citizenship may be called into question at any time. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the case as the Immigration and Nationality Act clearly dictates that the U.S. President Elect is a U.S. Citizen by virtue of his birth and parent. 

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court removed one of the last remaining obstacles to Barack Obama taking office in January, by rejecting a case brought by Leo Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Wells which challenged President-elect Obama’s U.S. citizenship and thus his eligibility to become the first African-American President of the United States. The case which was distributed for conference by Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on November 19, had originally been denied by Justice David Souter on Nov. 6.

Though perhaps the most significant, Donofrio v. Wells, was only one of a number of lawsuits that have been brought in the weeks leading up to the final Electoral College vote that will confirm Barack Obama election as the 44th President of the United States.

Another action questioning Barack Obama’s citizenship has been filed in the State of California by Alan Keyes, a former presidential candidate and rival of Obama’s, who along with a series of other organizations including the United Justice Foundation, are petitioning the California secretary of state asking that the state’s 55 Electoral College votes slated to be cast in the 2008 presidential election on behalf of Barack Obama be withheld until he verifies his eligibility to hold the office of president.

Meanwhile there still remains at least one other appeal over Obama’s citizenship at the Supreme Court. That case has been brought by Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, PA who, like so many sites on the internet, argues that Mr. Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii. The Berg case makes this assertion regarding Barack Obama’s citizenship in spite of the birth certificate circulated by the  Obama camp and confirmations from Hawaii health officials that the President-elect was indeed born in the State of Hawaii as he says he was.

Speculation about Barack Obama’s citizenship has been fueled by internet reports about Hawaii Revised Statute 338-178 which “allows registration of birth in Hawaii for a child that was born outside of Hawaii to parents who, for a year preceding the child’s birth, claimed Hawaii as their place of residence.” Meanwhile other rumors suggest Obama’s mother may have changed his citizenship during his youth when he resided in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather. If that were to be the case, Mr. Obama would be a citizen of Indonesia still as the country does not allow dual citizenship.

The Supreme Court did not comment on its decision not to review the Donofrio v. Wells case but it is believed to have gotten some degree of consideration by the court in conference on Friday.  Remaining challenges regarding Barack Obama citizenship are expected to be settled before the electoral college convenes on Dec.15 to confirm the results of the Nov. 4 general election.