Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Birthright Citizenship for Freely Associated States

Freely Associated States and US Relations

• 🇺🇸 The Department of the Interior manages federal relations with the Freely Associated States (FAS) and US territories.
• 🤝 The FAS are considered sovereign and independent nations, though the US has commitments and a strong relationship with them.
• 🗣️ Secretary Burgum stated he would not reject the possibility of extending birthright US citizenship to people of the FAS in the future, though he cannot speak for the entire administration.

Greenland and Potential US Integration

• 🗺️ Discussions have mentioned the possibility of Greenland becoming a territory of the US, potentially starting as a freely associated state.
• 🚫 Burgum has not had discussions about birthright citizenship related to Greenland or its acquisition.

US Territories and Organic Acts

• 🏛️ The organic acts governing the relationship between the US and its four territories have not been revised in decades.
• ✅ Burgum believes there's an opportunity to learn from experience and that dialogue to improve these relationships would be beneficial.
• 🤝 He supports updating organic acts with the mutual consent of the territories and Congress.

National Security and Self-Government

• 🛡️ The territories and FAS are seen as opportunities to increase national security, particularly in the Pacific, in light of potential encroachments from China.
• 🌐 Burgum is open to exploring expanding self-government for territories within the US framework, focusing on functional sovereignty if it aligns with their will.

Climate Change Funding

• 💧 DOI has previously supported climate change planning in Puerto Rico and other insular areas through IRA funding, which is now indefinitely paused.
• 🙏 Hope was expressed that the department can help ensure these areas are prepared for future climate-driven disasters.