What Does It Mean to Be a Natural Born Citizen?

The definition is actually pretty clear, though there's a potential catch for Barack Obama.

by Rod D. Martin
May 7, 2015

The meaning of "natural born citizen," as used in the United States Constitution, has nothing to do with the medical procedures (or lack thereof) involved in one's birth. Rather, it has to do with whether a person was entitled to citizenship from the beginning of his or her existence, as opposed to choosing to become a citizen at some later point.

Because of the need to establish the citizenship of freed slaves, the 14th Amendment established a "jus soli" standard in the text of the Constitution: that anyone born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is thereby a citizen. The "subject to its jurisdiction" part leaves some wiggle room. For example, the child of a foreign diplomat, born in the United States, would not be entitled to U.S. citizenship. This means that Congress could potentially remove the automatic right of citizenship from the children of illegal aliens, on the ground that they are rightfully subject to some other nation's laws. B…