Reaume v. United States

124 F. Supp. 851, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2927
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedAugust 9, 1954
DocketNo. 9486
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 124 F. Supp. 851 (Reaume v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reaume v. United States, 124 F. Supp. 851, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2927 (E.D. Mich. 1954).

Opinion

LEDERLE, Chief Judge.

1. This action was instituted by Donald Joseph Reaume for a judgment declaring him to be a national of the United States, claiming that he has rights and privileges as a national of the United States, which were and are being denied him by the United States Government and the individual defendants, the Detroit District Director of Immigration and Naturalization, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General. Defendants deny that plaintiff is a United States citizen.

2. Plaintiff was born in Detroit, Michigan, September 13, 1918.

3. At the time of plaintiff’s birth, his father, Alec Reaume, and his mother, Lily Reaume, were natives and citizens of Canada. Plaintiff’s parents have never acquired any other nationality.

4. Plaintiff lived in Detroit with his parents from birth until July 11, 1925, when his parents took him to reside with them in Ontario, Canada. Plaintiff was then six years of age.

5. Plaintiff thereafter resided continuously in Canada until April 25, 1950. Plaintiff’s principal and only place of abode during this period was Canada, except for foreign service outside of Canada and the United States with the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II.

6. On August 1, 1941, plaintiff was inducted into the Canadian Army, having received notice of induction prior thereto.

7. On May 12, 1943, plaintiff transferred by enlistment to the Royal Canadian Navy. Upon such enlistment, he took and signed the following oath of allegiance :

“I, Donald Joseph Reaume, do sincerely promise and swear (or solemnly declare) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty.”

8. In applying for such enlistment, plaintiff also made and signed the Royal Canadian Navy declaration reading:

“I am a British subject and have resided in Canada for the two years immediately preceding date of this application.”

9. Plaintiff served in the Royal Canadian Navy from May 26, 1943, until September 11, 1945, when he was discharged.

10. On December 4, 1946, plaintiff appeared at the American Consulate in Windsor, Ontario, where, pursuant to T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 723,1 he executed an oath reading in part as follows:

“that on July 31, 1941, on which date I was a citizen of the United States, I entered the military service of Canada and on May 26, 1943, I was transferred to the Naval service of Canada, a country at war with a country with which the United States is or was at war; that I terminated such service on Septem[853]*853ber 11, 1945; that I lost my citizenship of the United States in connection with such service by taking an oath or making an affirmation or other formal declaration of allegiance to and by entering of service in the armed forces of Canada; that I intend to return to the United States to reside permanently within two months;”

11. At the time of executing the last-mentioned verified statement, plaintiff took the oath of renunciation as to his then sovereign and allegiance as to the United States which is prescribed by T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 7352 for persons who have petitioned for naturalization as United States citizens.

12. Thereafter plaintiff resided in Canada with his wife and children until April 28, 1950, during all of which time this was plaintiff’s only place of general abode.

13. On December 23, 1949, plaintiff was examined by a Board of Special Inquiry at Detroit, Michigan, to determine his admissibility. This Board was convened pursuant to T. 8 U.S.C.A. §§ 152 and 153.3

14. Following this hearing, the Board held that plaintiff had lost his United States citizenship under the provisions of T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 804(b),4 which provides:

“A person who has become a national by naturalization shall lose his nationality by * * * residing continuously for three years in the territory of a foreign state of which he was formerly a national or in which the place of his birth is situated * * *

15. Plaintiff appealed this decision to the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization. On March 7, 1950, the Commissioner entered an order affirming the decision of the Board of Special Inquiry.

16. Plaintiff appealed this order of affirmance to the Board of Immigration Appeals. This Board exercises by delegation the authority conferred upon the Attorney General by T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 153. On April 14, 1950, the Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed the order of the Commissioner.

■ 17. Thereafter plaintiff and his wife appeared at the American Consulate at Windsor, Ontario, where, on the basis of plaintiff and his family being aliens, alien immigration visas were issued for plaintiff, his wife, and their three children.

18. Thereafter, on April 28, 1950, plaintiff and his family were admitted to the United States upon such alien immigration visas for permanent residence. They are presently domiciled in the City of Detroit.

19. When, on May 12, 1943, at the age of 25,.while permanently residing in Canada, plaintiff enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy, declared himself to be a British subject and took an oath of allegiance to the King of Great Britain, all of such actions were voluntary.

20. After plaintiff’s naturalization before the American Consul in Windsor, Ontario, on December 4, 1946, plaintiff voluntarily resided continuously for three years in Canada, which was the foreign state of which he was a national prior to such date.

21. No question is raised as to the regularity of the administrative procedures followed in relation to plaintiff, his complaint being that, upon the facts stated, the administrative determination that he is not an American citizen is incorrect.

Conclusions of Law

1. Where, as here, a permanent resident of this District claims to be a national of the United States, which claim is denied by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and by consular [854]*854officials, this court has jurisdiction of an action by such claimed national against the heads of such Departments, respectively, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, seeking a declaration that he is a national of the United States. T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 903.5

2. In an action against the Attorney General and the Secretary of State under T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 903, seeking a declaration of United States nationality by a person whose claim to such nationality is denied by subordinates of the two named heads of Departments, neither the United States of America nor the District Director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service is a necessary or proper defendant thereto against their objections.

Savorgnan v. U. S., 1949, 338 U.S. 491, 494, 506, 70 S.Ct. 292, 94 L.Ed. 287.

3. Where, as here, a person was born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, he was a national and citizen of the United States at birth. Amendment XIV, § 1, U.S.Const.; T. 8 U.S.C.A. § 601(a).6

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 F. Supp. 851, 1954 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reaume-v-united-states-mied-1954.