A doctor tried to renew his passport and found out that he is no longer a U.S. citizen.

Theresa Vargas for the Washington Post offers tells a chilling story that provoked commentary on the ImmigrationProf (immigration law professors) listserve.    A

“Northern Virginia doctor knows at least that much about his situation. He knows he is no longer considered a citizen of the United States — the place where he was born, went to school and has practiced medicine for more than 30 years — and that he also belongs to no other place.  . . .  [W]hen he sent in an application for a new passport in February, he had no reason to expect he’d face any difficulties. He had renewed his passport several times previously without problems. . . . Instead, at the age of 61, he lost what he had held since he was an infant: U.S. citizenship. A letter from a State Department official informed him that he should not have been granted citizenship at the time of his birth because his father was a diplomat with the Embassy of Iran. The letter directed Sobhani to a website where he could apply for lawful permanent residence.”

Basically, this “Georgetown Medical School graduate went from living a stable life in the D.C. region to standing on uncertain ground and asking questions that do not have clear answers. Some of those questions: Can he still legally practice medicine? Will the money he has earned over his career count toward his Social Security benefits if his Social Security number changes? Will he get to attend his son’s destination wedding next year?”

KJ