NOVANEWS
Margaret Doughty, a 64-year-old woman from the U.K., has lived in the United States for 30 years. Now that she has applied for U.S. citizenship, the Department of Homeland Security might deny her because she’s an atheist.On her application, Margaret declined to “take up arms to defend the United States”—due to her moral opposition to violence. The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (a division of DHS) replied that only religious-based objections are valid—instructing her to submit proof of her religion on “official church stationery” by June 21, or they will deny her U.S. citizenship.
Please sign our petition to the Director of USCIS, the Deputy
Director of Homeland Security and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to grant U.S. citizenship for Margaret Doughty—and to reverse this unconstitutional policy for all such applicants.
Dear USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy DHS Director Jane Holl Lute and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano:
We urge you to accept Margaret Doughty’s—and all other applications in a similar position—moral objection without religious justification.
Conscientious objectors who had moral (but not religious) reasons for not joining the military were found to be unlawfully discriminated against, as in Welsh v. United States. Likewise, requiring anyone who applies for U.S. citizenship to provide proof of their religion is a blatant violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause.
We urge you to accept Margaret Doughty’s—and all other applications in a similar position—moral objection without religious justification.
Conscientious objectors who had moral (but not religious) reasons for not joining the military were found to be unlawfully discriminated against, as in Welsh v. United States. Likewise, requiring anyone who applies for U.S. citizenship to provide proof of their religion is a blatant violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause.
