Gay couple sues State Dept for denying surrogate childs citizenship
A gay couple is suing the U.S. State Department after the agency informed the couple that one of their twin sons, born through a surrogate mother, was denied citizenship because his father is an Israeli citizen, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks, who are American and Israeli citizens, respectively, had two boys born through donor eggs carried by a surrogate mother in Canada last year. The two twin boys, Ethan and Aiden, share the same mother but each carries DNA from only one of the two fathers.
Upon returning to the U.S. with his family, Andrew Dvash-Banks was informed that his second twin, Ethan - who is biologically Elad's son - was not linked by DNA to an American citizen, and therefore does not benefit from automatic American citizenship.
LGBT and immigrants' rights groups argue that the agency is wrong, and that any child born to a U.S. citizen who marries abroad is owed U.S. citizenship, regardless of where they are born or whether one parent is a foreigner.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/370622-gay-couple-sues-state-dept-for-denying-surrogate-childs-citizenship