How a weird law withholds citizenship from one group of Americans

A strange loophole in citizenship law has created two types of Americans: U.S. citizens, and second-class American Samoan U.S. "nationals"

Fanga'a Bay, American Samoa
(Image credit: (Morton Beebe/Corbis))

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Taffy-lei T. Maenehad been in her new job at the Washington Department of Licensing for more than a year when officials began re-verifying workers' immigration status in 2012.

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