Judge Agrees Alabama Recruit Is Not US Citizen

Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Nov, 2019 ) :A judge agreed Thursday with President Donald Trump's administration that an Alabama woman who joined the group was not a US citizen, leaving the 25-year-old and her son in limbo in Syria.

Reggie Walton, a Federal judge in Washington, agreed with the government's position that Hoda Muthana's father was still a diplomat when she was born, making her ineligible for US citizenship, a lawyer for Muthana said.

The lawyer, Christina Jump, said she was waiting to read the written ruling and that the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, which is representing Muthana, would look at further options.

The United States grants citizenship to virtually everyone born on its soil and it is extremely difficult to revoke a person's citizenship.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later explained that Muthana's father had been a diplomat representing Yemen at the United Nations, meaning that his daughter was never a US citizen even though she traveled to Syria on a US passport.

Muthana's lawyer stressed that the judge based his ruling on the issue of diplomatic immunity.