The story from Alaska is notable for the fact that American immigration officials are trying to get DNA testing done to prove the connection between the young boy and his father, who is an American citizen and a former member of the American armed forces. However, the boy’s father refused to get tested, as per The Times of India.
Attorney speaks out
Margaret Stock, an attorney with Cascadia Cross Border Law Group in Anchorage, Alaska, was quoted by Newsweek, saying, “The child lives in Anchorage and could be deported alongside his mother. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has asked for genetic proof of paternity.
The child can't establish he's a citizen, and right now, the government's trying to deport him.”
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They added, “He's not in detention yet. They haven't come and grabbed him and put him in a detention center, but they've got him in deportation proceedings. So, it's really important for him to prove his citizenship in order to stop them from deporting him.”
The legal team claimed that the boy was born in Turkey to his Nigerian mother while his father, Bolanle Meshach Akinleye, was serving in the US military. The family then moved to the US under a visitor visa.
Citizenship dispute deepens as DHS offers paid self-deportation option
Additionally, the legal team noted that there were efforts towards deportation despite compelling evidence of photos and videos from birthday celebrations, among others, indicating father-son relationships.
However, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the boy was an illegal together with his mother and failed to prove their citizenship.
In addition, the DHS spokesperson offered self-deportation options. In this case, the parents could download the CBP Home app and plan for their self-deportation by securing themselves the opportunity of coming back through proper channels. This would involve offering them $2,600 along with a free flight back home.
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"We encourage every alien in the country to take advantage of this offer and reserve the opportunity to come back to the United States legally to live your American Dream," stated the spokesperson. "If not, you will be arrested and deported with no opportunity to come back.
"This case comes as the US Supreme Court is reviewing challenges to birthright citizenship and a 2025 executive order that aims to limit it. If the court upholds stricter rules, more cases like this could follow, where people may need DNA tests to prove citizenship.
The attorney added, “So, if Trump is successful at the US Supreme Court in overturning the 14th Amendment, we're going to see a lot more cases like this. In fact, we'll see hundreds of thousands of cases like this."
