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Born Here. Unrecognized. This is How Statelessness Happens. A new piece by The Guardian by n Bailey highlights Unregistered Americans—people born in the United States who were never issued a birth certificate and remain outside formal systems. Without documentation, access to basic rights is limited. When births go unregistered, it leads to statelessness. Read More Here. Protecting the 14th Amendment and ensuring universal birth registration matters, especially for children w

by Karina Ambartsoumian, Executive Director, United Stateless On April 1, I was inside the Supreme Court for Barbara v. Trump. As a stateless person, listening to arguments about who gets to belong—just feet away from the President—was surreal. This is not abstract. It is personal. Outside the Court, United Stateless stood alongside two of our leaders: Miliyon Ethiopis (left), who was stripped of his citizenship and continues to live without nationality. Henry Pachnowski (rig

by Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough, Executive Director, United Stateless I was born in Odessa, Ukraine, USSR, and grew up in the shadow of the Soviet Union’s collapse. When countries dissolve, borders and governments are not the only things that disappear. For some people, citizenship disappears too. I know what it means to live without citizenship. I live in the United States without a country that recognizes me as a citizen. Statelessness is a strange condition. It means that s

A new Off-Broadway play about statelessness in the U.S. is opening this week & featured in The New York Times March theater roundup. Read More Here. Liberty Scrap, written by Christina Masciotti & directed by T.Ryder Smith in collaboration with United Stateless, shines the spotlight on the reality of living without citizenship nor legal identity.

Asbury Park, NJ– March 3, 2026– United Stateless is proud to co-lead an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Barbara v. Trump, demonstrating that ending birthright citizenship will newly create a class of stateless people born in the United States. The brief, co-led by the Global Strategic Litigation Council and joined by 49 partner organizations, explains that ending birthright citizenship will dramatically expand the number of stateless people in the United States and

Culture Lab LIC In association with The Chocolate Factory Theater Presents World Premiere of Liberty Scrap by Christina Masciotti Directed and Designed by T. Ryder Smith March 5 - 29, 2026 | Culture Lab LIC Publicity Images Culture Lab LIC , in association with The Chocolate Factory Theater, is proud to present the world premiere of Liberty Scrap by internationally acclaimed playwright and Guggenheim fellow Christina Masciotti . Directed and designed by T. Ryder Smith , Libe

Citizens of Nowhere is on Al Jazeera DigiDocs Citizens of Nowhere is now streaming on Al Jazeera DigiDocs, in partnership with What Took You So Long and UNHCR. The film has screened at 33 film festivals worldwide and received two awards for Best Documentary Short. Watch Here. Liberty Scrap Premieres in NYC We’re excited to share the premiere of Liberty Scrap, a powerful, community-driven performance created by Christina Masciotti, directed and designed by T. Ryder Smith, and

We Are Community First! Founding Members, December 16, 2017 Eight years ago today a group of stateless people met each other, turned shared experience into connection and connection into action. Today that circle has grown into a movement grounded in lived expertise and the belief that everyone has the right to a nationality and a place to belong. 2025 USL Planning Retreat Transformation in Action Last week, our staff, impacted leaders, and allies gathered in Asbury Park, NJ

Contacts: Valerie Silverman Kerr Rex Unger Reciprocal Brand & Strategy Reciprocal Brand & Strategy valerie@reciprocal.nyc rex@reciprocal.nyc 914-806-6647 646-397-7404 Organization awarded unrestricted funding and support to address invisible human rights crisis affecting 200,000+ Americans. NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 20, 2025 – United Stateless, a national organization advocating for the rights of stateless people, has been awarded the 2025 J.M.K. Innovation Prize. Following a n

Throughout the day on September 17 , our community came together to reflect on what it means to belong — to be seen, to have rights, and to finally have a place to call home. This Citizenship Day , United Stateless lifted up the stories and voices of our members — each one a reminder of why citizenship matters, and why no one should ever be left without a country to call home. 🎥 Watch our Citizenship Day video: Citizenship Day 2025 — United Stateless It’s a powerful reflec

🗽 Citizenship Day is a time to recognize the rights, responsibilities, and profound importance of belonging — of having a place to call home. At United Stateless , we’re lifting up stories and voices that show why citizenship matters — and why no one should be left without a country to call home 🏡. Follow us and stay tuned as we share reflections from our community throughout the week.✨ Help us raise awareness by sharing these stories and honoring this day together. Conn

Today, NPR published a powerful story by Jaclyn Diaz with Erica S. Lee on “Living in the Shadows: Why Stateless People Fear Trump’s Immigration Crackdown,” featuring United Stateless leaders. Read More Here. The piece highlights the deep vulnerability of people who live without any citizenship in the U.S. As the Trump administration escalates its immigration crackdown—revoking naturalized citizenship, threatening birthright citizenship, and reviving third-country deportations

This month, stateless stories are making national headlines. From the Boston Globe to the New York Times , our community’s struggles—and courage—are finally being seen. These stories remind us why our work is so urgent. The Boston Globe recently highlighted the realities of statelessness in the U.S., featuring our Staff Attorney, Samantha Sitterley , and the work of United Stateless. The article sheds light on the legal limbo faced by over 200,000 people , underscoring why p

On June 5, 2025, USCIS rescinded its 2023 policy guidance on statelessness . The guidance had established a process for individuals to...

🇺🇸 Tatianna is Finally Home One of the founding members of United Stateless , Tatianna lost her citizenship when her country dissolved. For decades, she lived without a nation to call her own. This year, she officially became a U.S. citizen . Her journey is a testament to resilience , hope , and the power of community . Tatianna is stateless no more — and her triumph reminds us what’s possible when we stand together for belonging and recognition . ⚖️ Holding space in hard

A founding member of United Stateless, Tatianna lost her citizenship when her country dissolved. For more than three decades, she lived without a nation to call her own — navigating life in the shadows of a system that did not recognize her existence. ❤️ Today, she is an American. 🤍 Today, she is stateless no more. 💙 Today, we celebrate her strength, her resilience, and her unwavering belief in justice. 🌎 “The world is yours,” Tatianna. We are endlessly proud of you — and

⚖️ Launch of the 'Know Your Rights' Training Sessions We’re proud to launch our new Know Your Rights Training Series in partnership with Chispas Consulting , as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen community support with the Center for Victims of Torture . These trainings are designed to equip our community with practical tools , critical information , and a deeper sense of collective power . Our first session in March — Understanding the Shifting Political Landscape —

We’re proud to stand alongside 22 U.S.-based organizations in a joint submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. Together, we’re shining a light on the treatment of non-citizens in the United States — including stateless people , who remain unrecognized in both law and policy. 🇺🇸 This effort was led by RFK Human Rights , and we’re honored to contribute our voice and perspective to this critical human righ

January 21, 2025 United Stateless Statement on Birthright Citizenship Statelessness refers to the condition of an individual who is not...

United Stateless in Geneva for Global Alliance Launch We’re proud to have our leader and stateless survivor Martine Kalaw in Geneva ...