Inadmissibility due to false claim to US citizenship

ANG isang dayuhan na may false claim ng U.S. citizenship upang makakuha ng mga benipisyo sa ilalim ng federal law o state law ay maaaring maging inadmissible. Ang mga sumusunod ang mga elemento ng false claim ng U.S. citizenship: (1) ang dayuhan ay nagsabi at naglinlang na siya ay U.S. citizen; (2) ang kanyang pagsabi na siya ay U.S. citizen ay hindi totoo; (3) alam ng dayuhan na siya ay nagsisinungaling noong sinabi niya na siya ay U.S. citizen; at (4) ang dahilan ng pagsabi ng dayuhan na siya ay U.S. citizen ay upang makakuha ng mga benepisyo sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), o para sa benepisyo sa ilalim ng federal law o state law.

Ang dayuhan ay maaaring magsabi na siya ay U.S. citizen sa mga interbyu, sa mga aplikasyon niya sa trabaho, o sa mga dokumentong kanyang ibinigay sa opisyal ng gobyerno ng U.S., kasama na ang federal official at state official. Maaari rin na ang pagsisinungaling ukol sa U.S. citizenship ay sinabi sa isang pribadong tao, katulad ng U.S. employer. Para maging false claim sa U.S. citizenship, dapat ay alam ng dayuhan na ang sinasabi niya na siya ay U.S. citizen ay hindi totoo at ito’y isang kasinungalingan. Kung hindi alam ng dayuhan na hindi pala siya U.S. citizen, halimbawa ay sinabihan siya ng kanyang mga magulang na siya ay U.S. citizen simula noong siya ay sanggol pa hanggang lumaki na siya, at buong buhay niya itong pinaniwalaan, hindi masasabing ang dayuhan ay may false claim sa U.S. citizenship.

Ayon sa batas, ang isang dayuhan ay inadmissible dahil sa false claim ng U.S. citizenship kung siya ay nagsabi at naglinlang ukol sa kanyang citizenship para makakuha ng mga benepisyo sa ilalim ng INA, o federal law o state law. Kailangan ding ang U.S. citizenship ay materyal o mahalaga para sa benepisyong gustong makuha ng dayuhan, kagaya ng sa aplikasyon para sa U.S. passport, pagpasok sa U.S. kung saan sinasabi ng dayuhan na siya ay U.S. citizen para hindi siya tanungin pa ng mga opisyal ng Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), o kaya ay sa paghanap at pagkuha ng trabaho sa pamamagitan ng pag-fill up ng Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form kung saan sinasabi ng dayuhan na siya ay U.S. citizen upang hindi na siya hanapan ng US employer ng mga dokumento na siya ay legal na pwedeng magtrabaho sa US. Maaari ring ang dayuhan ay may false claim sa US citizenship upang makaiwas sa mga negatibong maaaring mangyari sa kanya kung siya ay wala nang status sa US, tulad ng paglagay sa kanya sa removal o deportation proceedings o pagbigay ng mahabang interrogation sa kanya ng mga opisyal ng Immigration.

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An alien who falsely claims to be a U.S. citizen in order to obtain a benefit under federal law or state law may be found to be inadmissible. The following are the elements of false claim to U.S. citizenship: (1) the alien made a representation of U.S. citizenship; (2) the representation was false; (3) the alien made the representation knowingly; and (4) the alien made the representation for any purpose or benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or any other federal or state law.

An alien may claim to be a U.S. citizen in interviews, written applications or by submitting documentary evidence to a U.S. government official, any federal, state or local official, or even to a private person, such as an employer. For USCIS to consider the claim to US citizenship to be false, the alien must knowingly misrepresent the fact that he is a citizen of the U.S. The alien must have known that he was not a U.S. citizen at the time that the claim was made. If the alien did not know that the claim to citizenship was false, the alien cannot be considered as having made a false claim to citizenship.

The law only makes an alien inadmissible for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship if the alien falsely represents himself to be a U.S. citizen for any purpose or benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), or any federal or state law. Furthermore, U.S. citizenship must matter to the purpose or benefit sought. This means that U.S. citizenship must be material to the purpose or benefit sought, such as in an application for U.S. passport, entry into the U.S. where the alien claims to be a U.S. citizen, and in obtaining employment by filling-up Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form under a claim of U.S. citizenship. If the alien also falsely claims U.S. citizenship to avoid negative legal consequences such as being placed in removal proceedings and being placed in further inspection or interrogation by immigration officials, he is inadmissible. Likewise, if the alien claimed to be a U.S. citizen to avoid showing valid and unexpired work authorization documents to accept an offer of employment, he is inadmissible.

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ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005).

SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 381-5710; Email: [email protected].