IVF Babies Born in Jerusalem are Denied U.S Citizenship

Giving birth to children is a rewarding experience, but for some, the legalities of the process are difficult to manage. Chicago native, Ellie Lavi was ecstatic to have the privelege of giving birth to her twin girls recently, in Jerusalum. Many would think that due to the fact that the mother is a U.S citizen, the process of obtaining citizenship for her daughters wouldn't be a challenge. However, when Ellie went to apply for U.S citizenship for the twins, she was denied.

How could Lavi be denied citizenship for her daughters due to the fact that they were born overseas? As the case is looked at more, it becomes more complicated than once imagined. When applying through the U.S Embassy, she was asked if she got pregnant at a fertility clinic. When she responded with, "yes" her children's citizenship was automatically denied.

According to the U.S State Department, a child cannot be eligible for U.S citizenship unless it can be proven that the egg or sperm used to create the embryo was from an American citizen. To delve further, if a child is born outside of the United States, a biological link with at least one parent must be made. Having proof of the biological origins of the donors can be difficult to prove, due to the fact that the clinics will not reveal information due to confidentiality agreements. In Lavi's case, she cannot prove the biological origins because she recevied her eggs from a disclosed donor.

This law has been created in order to prevent people from claiming that other people's children are theirs for the intent of gaining citizenship. It has raised many eyebrows in the field of reproduction , and many claim that the law does need reformation. In order to avoid these circumstances, or ones alike, it is important for parents who are using InVitro Fertilization to understand the laws. Many parents are not aware of such laws, thus are faced with legal issues after the births of their children. Hopefully, through this story, many intended parents are prompted to understand the laws and easily obtain U.S citizenship for their children.