# How would you prove you're a citizen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2024, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-prove-youre-a-citizen/1007450 "2024-09-19T01:46:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 127
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-prove-youre-a-citizen/1007450/127 "2024-09-22T03:00:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > > > My cite is section 101(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(3)). > > _(3) The term “alien” means any person not a citizen or national of the United States._ > > Note that word- _national._ Yes! Note that word: _alien_. As in, an “alien” is by definition NOT a US national. If someone is a US national, _they are not an alien_, resident or otherwise. Draw a big circle for US nationals, and within that draw another circle that is almost as big as and completely contained within the US national circle for “US citizens”. And then, draw a separate circle that does not overlap with the US national or US citizen circles called “aliens” and then within the “aliens” circle draw a much much smaller “resident aliens” circle. There are no aliens, resident or otherwise, who are US nationals, and thus no aliens, resident or otherwise, who may obtain a US passport—or a certification of non-citizen US nationality, even. Legal permanent residents (resident aliens, if you must) of the US, if they have a passport at all, will have a passport issued by the country of which they are a citizen. And never a US passport. Because if they were US citizens (or even just nationals) and thus entitled to have a US passport or similar document for nationals they would, by definition, not be aliens. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-prove-youre-a-citizen/1007450)._