19 yr old cant prove she's a citizen.

Sammy-San

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Alecia Pennington can't prove she's an American ? or even exists. What would you do?

On Sep. 24, 2014, 18-year-old Alecia Faith Pennington left her family and childhood home with the help of her grandparents. Having been raised in a staunchly Christian, homeschooled family in Texas, she was ready to set off and pursue a new life.

But she quickly realized that would not be possible. While she claims that she was born on Nov. 26, 1995, there is no actual proof of her age or identity, when it comes to the United States government.

Ms. Pennington, who says she's now 19, has launched a campaign via YouTube and Facebook called “Help Me Prove It.” In the video, she explains her strange circumstance: she was born at home, after which her parents neglected to file for a birth certificate or a social security number; she was homeschooled and therefore has no school records; she has never been to a hospital and is without medical records. Furthermore, her parents have refused to help her in any way.
She received a certified letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services dated Oct. 1, 2014, informing her that after a thorough search, no record of her birth could be found, according to her Facebook page. The TCSHS informed her that she should apply for a delayed birth certificate; however, she is not allowed before a judge unless she has three documents verifying her age and citizenship, which she does not have.

She appears caught in a Kafkaesque bureaucratic web – one that's been dubbed "identification abuse," which a small percentage of homeschooled children and adults sometimes experience, often due to the anti-government views held by their parents.

“This leaves me with nothing to prove my identity or citizenship,” Alecia explains in the video. “I am now 19 years old and I’m unable to get a driver’s license, get a job, go to college, get on a plane, get a bank account, or vote.”

Pennington's plight has been the subject of much online debate – and counsel.

After making the top of Reddit’s video page, her story has begun to gain national attention. While some commenters feel it could simply be an elaborate hoax, others are asking questions and trying to offer advice. But it seems to keep sending her in circles: you need documentation to get documentation, or you need your parents’ help.

And James and Lisa Pennington have refused to help, according to their daughter.

James and Lisa live in Kerrington, Texas, where they serve on the board of the Hill Country Home School Association. In 2010, they were named the 2010 Texas Home School Coalition Association’s “Leaders of the Year,” according to the THSCA website. Lisa is also an ardent Christian, homeschooling, and parenting blogger, posting at Hip Homeschool Moms and The Pennington Point.

On The Pennington Point, Lisa shares the moment her daughter – who is one of nine children – left in a blog post called “The Hardest Post I Ever Wrote” (The post has since been blocked):

“On Wednesday, September 24th my life was changed forever. My 18 year old daughter left home. She gave us no warning, no signs that it was coming. She didn’t try to talk to us about it or work with us. She, with the help of my parents, just left. And with her she took pieces of my heart that had been torn to shreds.”

Lisa continues to say that her relationship with her parents, who helped planned Alecia’s departure, abruptly ended. She also claimed her daughter had help from “a godless woman who has been giving her foolish counsel and encouraging her to deceive [them] and get out.”

About a month after this post was written, Lisa followed up with in a post that outlined her current feelings about the situation. In some ways, it reads as if her daughter passed away rather than left home.

“What I can tell you about is how we are pulling ourselves together at home. We have been making an effort to find our new normal without her. It has been really hard and we all miss her terribly, but I have learned a lot about how to deal with grief throughout the past month,” Lisa wrote on her blog. “I definitely have days when I feel like I can hardly breathe and just cry for no reason. Like, hard crying. I know that’s part of the process. Oh, those crazy stages of grief.”

While it seems clear that the family did not want Alecia to go, do her parents have the right to withhold proof of her identity?

Apparently, this issue is not as unique as it may first appear. Homeschool Alumni Reaching Out (HARO), an advocacy organization for homeschool students, defines the type of behavior exhibited in the Pennington situation as “identification abuse,” where guardians destroy, deny, or hold hostage their child’s identification documents, such as a birth certificate, driver’s license, or social security card.

According to a Survey of Adult Alumni of the Modern Christian Homeschool Movement done by HARO in 2014, nearly 4 percent of respondents experienced some form of identification abuse.

“While such abuse can happen anywhere and everywhere regardless of one’s educational environment, homeschool kids (and alumni) are particularly vulnerable to this form of abuse because of certain anti-government and pro-parental rights attitudes in totalistic homeschool subcultures,” Homeschoolers Anonymous states on their website.

On Wednesday, Lisa posted a video responding to her daughter's claims. The video was immediately removed. From a transcription provided by Free Jinger, Lisa allegedly said in the video:

"[T]o our knowledge there was a birth certificate filed, the midwives told us you have to file a birth certificate and as far as we know there was one filed. We do not know what information was put on it and we do not have any copies of that. We are unaware of what was filed when she was born but we have no interest in holding anything back from her and we know you can get a delayed birth certificate which would be a great option for her . . . We want every opportunity for her, we have offered over and over to help her and she has not responded or accepted that help. So whatever she needs now, we are happy to do, whatever we need to sign, we are happy to sign and let her move on with her life."

Ryan Stollar, the executive director of HARO, says in a phone interview that it is uncertain why Alecia's parents are responding with support and then withdrawing. He suspects the issue to be more complicated than meets the eye, either with the parents or the midwife. In Texas, midwives are required to register as well as file a birth certificate, so it is possible that Alecia's midwife – who has reportedly refused help – either did not file or was not registered, both of which are illegal.

Alecia's father, James, is an accountant and a member of the Texas Constitution Party, a known anti-government association. According to a 2007 court document, he has not filed taxes since 1996, and has been contacted by the IRS for evasion. With nine children reportedly undocumented – although three adult children did eventually receive documentation – it further complicates the issue, Mr. Stollar says.

Stollar says that while this happens to more children than many are aware, there are no easy, legal remedies. And the remedies that exist cost money, a luxury most children - even legal adults such as Alecia – do not have.

"We could get a lawyer, so they can subpoena her parents and midwife so they can verify her birth and citizenship. But that requires money. So for many kids, there is no easy path. If they don’t have a story that goes viral like Alecia’s – or have a network around them supporting them – they’re out of luck.," Stollar says.

For Alecia, Stollar suggests that her best option is to find a lawyer who will be willing to represent her pro bono. Her campaign has at least shed light on a situation that a small but sometimes desperate group of homeschooled children face. And the easiest solution, he notes, would be for Alecia's parents to cooperate.

"I have seen parents change and come around and learn to respect their adult children as being adults," Stollar said. "But I’ve absolutely seen it not happen, too. Many times, what is required for parents to change is a crisis situation like the one Alecia is facing, where all hell breaks loose and the only reason the parents do change their mind is there is so much pressure put on them publicly. They are forced to acknowledge the damage they're doing to their children."


An thoughts? Well, even if you have a birth certificate, you need citizen records to have a job or college or drive-which makes this situation difficult for the person in this situation.

What would they do if they get a birth certificate-would she have to go through the same legal steps that an immigrant would go through to become a citizen-with a work visa?

:confused:

This is such a rare and unique situation there's no legal framework or requirements on how to even deal with a situation like it.

Even if some judge creates a birth certificate, she was never made a citizen, and you dont become a citizen just by having a birth certificate. It takes years for immigrants with no citizenship to gain it-the laws state that. But would the law make an exception in a situation like this-since those laws werent designed for bizzare situations like this? Maybe. Maybe not. Laws being poorly thought out isnt helpful for people, to say the least.

Citizenship laws were made to create regulations on how immigrants could become-but this isnt the first time I heard on the news of unintentional side effects and poorly thought out results of a law having severe effects and legal consequences on people. This is why I believe the American legal system is flawed big time-too many situations exist, like no birth certificate or records being created, that open the doors to crazy stories like this.

I believe her parents should face severe legal charges in this situation for making it impossible for her to even have a life (in the situation that it's impossible to create citizenship for her)-at the very least they should be required to support her for an indefinite period of time. I'm no legal expert, but if I was a judge, I'd do that.
 

sojourner4Christ

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An thoughts? Well, even if you have a birth certificate, you need citizen records to have a job or college or drive-which makes this situation difficult for the person in this situation.
Not true. I have three daughters -- all “unpapered” (i.e. no birth cert’s, passports, etc.).

What would they do if they get a birth certificate-would she have to go through the same legal steps that an immigrant would go through to become a citizen-with a work visa?
Depends on what country she was born at.


This is such a rare and unique situation there's no legal framework or requirements on how to even deal with a situation like it.
Not true. In fact, today’s methods of dealing with it are relatively new. Conversely, we’ve always had the biblical example from antiquity.

Even if some judge creates a birth certificate, she was never made a citizen, and you dont become a citizen just by having a birth certificate. It takes years for immigrants with no citizenship to gain it-the laws state that.
It’s true that merely being born at a certain country does not automatically make you a citizen of that country -- even children born of US citizens are not automatically citizens at birth.

But would the law make an exception in a situation like this-since those laws werent designed for bizzare situations like this? Maybe. Maybe not. Laws being poorly thought out isnt helpful for people, to say the least.
Not at all. Man’s laws are arbitrary and capricious. Caesar would welcome, with open arms, anyone who wants to come on board as a citizen of the God-less State.

Citizenship laws were made to create regulations on how immigrants could become-but this isnt the first time I heard on the news of unintentional side effects and poorly thought out results of a law having severe effects and legal consequences on people. This is why I believe the American legal system is flawed big time-too many situations exist, like no birth certificate or records being created, that open the doors to crazy stories like this.
As I indicated, it’s not a crazy story. Its just that Caesar’s media doesn’t like telling you about how the other side lives (in true liberty).

I believe her parents should face severe legal charges in this situation for making it impossible for her to even have a life (in the situation that it's impossible to create citizenship for her)...

Firstly, she has a life. Secondly, again, Caesar will gladly take her onboard at whatever age he is able.

-at the very least they should be required to support her for an indefinite period of time. I'm no legal expert, but if I was a judge, I'd do that.
I don’t think she’s hurting.
 
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marshlewis

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Not at all. Man’s laws are arbitrary and capricious. Caesar would welcome, with open arms, anyone who wants to come on board as a citizen of the God-less State.

Im confused as the actual Caesar would not welcome just anyone and the Entire OP is about how the Metaphorical Caesar (the US government) will not welcome just anyone. Could you talk in plain language, just say what you mean.
 
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nightflight

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“This leaves me with nothing to prove my identity or citizenship,” Alecia explains in the video. “I am now 19 years old and I’m unable to get a driver’s license, get a job, go to college, get on a plane, get a bank account, or vote.”

Tell them you're from........

Oh nevermind.
 
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MachZer0

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Alecia Pennington can't prove she's an American ? or even exists. What would you do?




An thoughts? Well, even if you have a birth certificate, you need citizen records to have a job or college or drive-which makes this situation difficult for the person in this situation.

What would they do if they get a birth certificate-would she have to go through the same legal steps that an immigrant would go through to become a citizen-with a work visa?

:confused:

This is such a rare and unique situation there's no legal framework or requirements on how to even deal with a situation like it.

Even if some judge creates a birth certificate, she was never made a citizen, and you dont become a citizen just by having a birth certificate. It takes years for immigrants with no citizenship to gain it-the laws state that. But would the law make an exception in a situation like this-since those laws werent designed for bizzare situations like this? Maybe. Maybe not. Laws being poorly thought out isnt helpful for people, to say the least.

Citizenship laws were made to create regulations on how immigrants could become-but this isnt the first time I heard on the news of unintentional side effects and poorly thought out results of a law having severe effects and legal consequences on people. This is why I believe the American legal system is flawed big time-too many situations exist, like no birth certificate or records being created, that open the doors to crazy stories like this.

I believe her parents should face severe legal charges in this situation for making it impossible for her to even have a life (in the situation that it's impossible to create citizenship for her)-at the very least they should be required to support her for an indefinite period of time. I'm no legal expert, but if I was a judge, I'd do that.

You're going on the assumption that she's telling the truth. How do we know she is who she says she is?
 
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ChristsSoldier115

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You're going on the assumption that she's telling the truth. How do we know she is who she says she is?

Yeah really, she could be Canadian for all we know, and the last thing we need in this country are more illegal Canadians.
 
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MachZer0

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Yeah really, she could be Canadian for all we know, and the last thing we need in this country are more illegal Canadians.
She could be a lot of things. like a lying activist for illegal immigration.
 
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The parents should be charged with neglect. Identification abuse should be a criminal offense. Her welfare has been in jeopardy for her whole life.
You'd have to ask them. A bigger question is how do we know for sure where she was born?
That's kinda her whole point, Mach. She can't make anyone believe her because her parents didn't document her.
 
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MachZer0

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The parents should be charged with neglect. Identification abuse should be a criminal offense. Her welfare has been in jeopardy for her whole life.
The midwife was the one responsible to file the paperwork.

That's kinda her whole point, Mach. She can't make anyone believe her because her parents didn't document her.
The bigger point here is why should we take her word for it?
 
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NightHawkeye

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Alecia Pennington can't prove she's an American ? or even exists. What would you do?

An thoughts? Well, even if you have a birth certificate, you need citizen records to have a job or college or drive-which makes this situation difficult for the person in this situation.
Quoting her parents ... Alecia Pennington can't prove she's an American ? or even exists. What would you do?
"[T]o our knowledge there was a birth certificate filed, the midwives told us you have to file a birth certificate and as far as we know there was one filed. We do not know what information was put on it and we do not have any copies of that. We are unaware of what was filed when she was born but we have no interest in holding anything back from her and we know you can get a delayed birth certificate which would be a great option for her . . . We want every opportunity for her, we have offered over and over to help her and she has not responded or accepted that help. So whatever she needs now, we are happy to do, whatever we need to sign, we are happy to sign and let her move on with her life."

Ryan Stollar, the executive director of HARO, says in a phone interview that it is uncertain why Alecia's parents are responding with support and then withdrawing. He suspects the issue to be more complicated than meets the eye, either with the parents or the midwife. In Texas, midwives are required to register as well as file a birth certificate, so it is possible that Alecia's midwife – who has reportedly refused help – either did not file or was not registered, both of which are illegal.

Alecia's father, James, is an accountant and a member of the Texas Constitution Party, a known anti-government association. According to a 2007 court document, he has not filed taxes since 1996, and has been contacted by the IRS for evasion. With nine children reportedly undocumented – although three adult children did eventually receive documentation – it further complicates the issue, Mr. Stollar says.​
It would seem that all she needs to do is subpoena her parents to court.
 
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CaDan

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It’s true that merely being born at a certain country does not automatically make you a citizen of that country

This is incorrect. All persons born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens of the United States. 8 U.S.C. § 1401.

Subject to certain restrictions not relevant here.
 
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She received a certified letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services dated Oct. 1, 2014, informing her that after a thorough search, no record of her birth could be found, according to her Facebook page. The TCSHS informed her that she should apply for a delayed birth certificate; however, she is not allowed before a judge unless she has three documents verifying her age and citizenship, which she does not have.

Quoting her parents ... Alecia Pennington can't prove she's an American ? or even exists. What would you do?
"[T]o our knowledge there was a birth certificate filed, the midwives told us you have to file a birth certificate and as far as we know there was one filed. We do not know what information was put on it and we do not have any copies of that. We are unaware of what was filed when she was born but we have no interest in holding anything back from her and we know you can get a delayed birth certificate which would be a great option for her . . . We want every opportunity for her, we have offered over and over to help her and she has not responded or accepted that help. So whatever she needs now, we are happy to do, whatever we need to sign, we are happy to sign and let her move on with her life."

Ryan Stollar, the executive director of HARO, says in a phone interview that it is uncertain why Alecia's parents are responding with support and then withdrawing. He suspects the issue to be more complicated than meets the eye, either with the parents or the midwife. In Texas, midwives are required to register as well as file a birth certificate, so it is possible that Alecia's midwife – who has reportedly refused help – either did not file or was not registered, both of which are illegal.

Alecia's father, James, is an accountant and a member of the Texas Constitution Party, a known anti-government association. According to a 2007 court document, he has not filed taxes since 1996, and has been contacted by the IRS for evasion. With nine children reportedly undocumented – although three adult children did eventually receive documentation – it further complicates the issue, Mr. Stollar says.​
It would seem that all she needs to do is subpoena her parents to court.


As someone born in Texas who does not have his original birth certificate anymore (don't ask, we don't know what happened). There was probably nothing filed. Whenever my mom had to go to some office to get it so I could get a passport, she walked home that day with a legal copy it's that easy to find someone in Texas' records.
If I had to guess, there either was no midwife or the midwife is one these people who don't believe in identification.
 
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South Bound

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You're going on the assumption that she's telling the truth. How do we know she is who she says she is?

I tend to believe it's a hoax. At the very least, it's inaccurate. They called the Texas Constitution Party "anti-government", which it most definitely is not. For goodness sake, they have "Constitution" in their name.

My wife and I have homeschooled our children for about fifteen years now and are familiar with the movement, although we're not very active in it, and I don't believe the description of homeschoolers is remotely accurate, either. I tend to believe it's a hoax to smear homeschoolers and the Constitution Party.

Personally, assuming the story is true and I was her, I'd just turn myself in and claim to be an illegal alien who snuck over the border from Mexico. That way, she'd get a social security card, a driver's license, and could go from there.
 
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PersephonesTear

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This is incorrect. All persons born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens of the United States. 8 U.S.C. § 1401.

Subject to certain restrictions not relevant here.

Yup-this.

If you are born on US soil, you are automatically a citizen period. All she needs to do is get that delayed birth certificate, and that's all the documentation she will need. She can get a driver's license or non-driver state ID from there, and then she will have two forms of ID for employment.

I was also born in Texas. I was also homeschooled. And I also have never seen my original birth certificate. I called the vital records office in the county where I was born and had a certified copy sent. It's that easy.

If the midwife that delivered her actually filed, then she all she has to do is supply the relevant info to the vital records office so they can look it up. If the birth certificate was never filed, she can still file for a delayed one; and she is all set. There is no immigration process for a U.S. born citizen, and those rights are afforded you whether or not your parents filed paperwork.
 
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