PROOF OF FACTS: Social Security Administration Definition of “U.S. citizen”
Social Security Program Operations Manual System (POMS),
GN 00303.120 Who Is a U.S. Citizen
7. American Samoa and Swain’s Island An individual born in American Samoa or Swain’s Island is a U.S. National, unless U.S. citizenship was derived from a parent or acquired by marriage. For SSA purposes these individuals are considered to be U.S. citizens.
[Program Operations Manual System (POMS), Section GN 00303.120: Who Is a U.S. citizen; SOURCE: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200303120
It would therefore appear that:
- They are combining political citizenship + a geographical jurisdiction (United StatesG) to arrive at the “U.S. citizen” status on SSA Form SS-5.
- The “U.S. citizen” status on the SSA Form SS-5 Form is a CIVIL status (political citizenship + a geographical jurisdiction), not an exclusively POLITICAL status.
See 42 U.S.C. §1301(a)(2):
42 U.S. Code § 1301 – Definitions
(a)When used in this chapter—
(2) The term “United States” when used in a geographical sense means, except where otherwise provided, the States.
SSA POMS Section 303.100 clarifies the geographical definition of “United States”:
GN 00303.100 United States (U.S.) Citizenship
B. Definitions for different U.S. citizenship status
6. U.S.
When used in a geographical sense, means the 50 states, District of Columbia (D.C.), Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands., American Samoa, Swain’s Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
REMINDER: Individuals born in the former Western Samoa, which became independent in 1962 and now known as the Independent Republic of Samoa, are neither U.S. citizens nor U.S. nationals.
NOTE: On May 18, 1977, the Harcon tract ceased to be part of the U.S. The Harcon Tract (a small tract of land that was north of the Rio Grande but is now south of the channel since it was diverted) was considered U.S. territory until May 18, 1977. Under a treaty with Mexico, the U.S. transferred that land to Mexico on May 18, 1977.
[SOURCE: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200303100#b5]
Notice they use the word “means” in the definition, so it is unambiguous.