News
Smock cited in amicus brief for Supreme Court case on citizenship rights for foreign-born children of unwed parents
June 23, 2017
In the Supreme Court decision reported here, the justices declared unconstitutional an Immigration and Nationality Act provision that makes the path to citizenship for foreign-born children of unmarried parents different when the citizen-parent is the mother versus the father. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued this provision violated the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by allowing an unwed mother to transfer her citizenship to her foreign-born child after 1 year of US residency, but requiring 5 years for an unwed father. Work by Pamela Smock was cited in an amicus brief filed for the case with supporting research by population and family scholars.