Innocente lands the first punch again: the latest “name-and-shame list” has been placed on public inspection for printing in tomorrow’s Federal Register. You can view it here. It is, of course, nearly two weeks past the October 30th deadline for the list to be printed, but perhaps it’s because the list compiler is still getting used to her new role: Ann V. Gaudelli has moved on to bigger and better things, and the naming & shaming is now the responsibility of Dorothy A. Harbison.
The list contains 560 names, down from 1,130 last quarter. However, it remains anyone’s guess what the real number of people giving up citizenship might be. The government shutdown will likely have affected the speed at which the State Department processes Certificates of Loss of Nationality and forwards them to the IRS, just as it also caused a slowdown in the FBI’s additions to NICS in all categories (about which I will post sometime later this week).
On a closely related topic, the U.S. government is also lowballing its latest estimate of how many people file Form I-407 to give up their U.S. green cards. In a Federal Register notice in late September, USCIS projected that only 9,371 people will file Form I-407 in 2014. However, according to statistics which Shadow Raider obtained from them through an FOIA request, the average annual number of green card abandonments by Form I-407 in the past decade was 15,354 — see our earlier post about those statistics. (And of course, this number does not include people who let their green cards expire without formally abandoning them.)
Furthermore, out of five public figures known to have given up U.S. citizenship between March and June 2013, only one appeared on the list: Sharon Roulstone, a candidate for public office in the Cayman Islands. Taiwanese basketball player Quincy Davis, René González of the “Cuban Five“, Pakistani politician Fauzia Kasuri, and Hong Kong banker Marshall Nicholson failed to have their names printed.
Among earlier relinquishments, Turks & Caicos Islands Deputy Premier Akierra Missick showed up almost a year late, finally putting to rest any claims that she had faked her renunciation. However, other ex-citizens of 2012 vintage such as Japanese literature professor Donald Keene and Zurich mayor Corine Mauch still have not appeared. In total, out of the 61 public figures with Wikipedia entries who were reported in the media to have given up U.S. citizenship since 2006, 25 have never had their names printed in the Federal Register, contrasting sharply with only two or three missing names in the list’s first decade from 1996 to 2005.
The FBI and State numbers for Q3/13 are broadly compatible: State’s 560 vs. the FBI’s 645. As Eric says, the shutdown may throw things off; there’s also summer vacation season.
Still not on it. Renounced 1st quarter, CLN received 2nd quarter 2013.
I’m not on it either. Renounced and received my CLN 2nd quarter 2013.
The name of one acquaintance of mine is on the new list, about a year after renunciation. (I am guessing that the two events are somehow related, but see below.) The name of one other person I know, who renounced last year, has never appeared and is still not on this list.
My own name has never appeared on the list, either. My CLN, also obtained about a year ago, documents my long-ago relinquishment, not a recent renunciation. So I don’t know if a name identical to mine will ever be on one of these lists. And if my name does ultimately appear, will it be because of my relinquishment or because someone else with the same name has renounced?
I still don’t understand the criteria for a name to appear on the list. Specifically, can anyone yet explain what this sentence actually means:
“This listing contains the name of each individual losing United States citizenship (within the meaning of section 877(a) or 877A) with respect to whom the Secretary received information during the quarter ending September 30, 2013.” ??
The two phrases “within the meaning of …” and “the Secretary received information” are so vague as to be baffling. Does losing citizenship “within the meaning of section 877(a) or 877A” include relinquishments as well as renunciations? Does it cover only loss of tax citizenship (some loss!) as distinct from actual citizenship? Does it refer only to “covered expatriates”? What specific kinds of “information” that the Secretary receives does the sentence refer to — copies of CLNs , submissions of form 8854, items in the public press, tips from the NSA, reports from psychics, …?
The State Department still won’t report the actual numbers of CLNs it has been approving. Why do we have to resort to guessing at the numbers from of this mysteriously prepared, incomplete and inaccurate list published quarterly in the Federal Register? When will this sham truthiness be replaced by truth?
Myself and two other family members who relinquished in May 2013 are on this list.
@yitzi and other who find themselves on the list,
Could you tell us how you feel? Do you feel ashamed as its creators intended you to feel?
@bubblebustin
I’m hardly ashamed. I’m proud of what I stood for. In fact I have told everyone who would listen in my circles what I’ve done, why, and why they should do the same before the arbitrary US government changes the ground rules again.
Son’s name is NOT listed, Renounced Dec.2012 CLN received early 2013
@yitzi
I would feel that same way. Ironic that something intended to shame people will forever stand testament to a government’s persecution of its people.
@bubblebustin
Yes it’s a shame that the once great nation of the United States has gone into a state of collapse on every front. My family and I left America and never looked back, we left no assets or connections there aside from staying in contact with a handful of family by phone. We relinquished effective the day we left the US as that was our intent. The actions of the US to maintain slave ownership over human beings for tax reasons is a great a sin as that of the slavery that President Lincoln sought to end.
my son’s name is not on it: renounced June 25, 2013
Not listed here either. Renounced Oct 16, 2012, filed 8854 and have been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, LA Daily Journal, BBC radio, Statelessman radio, Tagblatt.ch. Basically, everyone knows that I renounced except for the Federal Register.
@SwissPinoy
HAHAHAHAHA! Your and Em’s flying eraser comments have made my day!
@bubblebustin, today is a great day! My spouse gave birth to SwissPinoy, a citizen of Switzerland and the Philippines, who is not a citizen of America because of discrimination caused by US policy against US persons. My son was born outside of America to non-American parents.
Good planning and action on your part, Mr. and Mrs. SwissPinoy and Swiss/Phillippine citizen. Congratulations to you both and your new SwissPinoy!
Congratulations SwissPinoy! Perfect timing for your little boy to arrive. Now let’s hope Switzerland can get that referendum through so that if your boy ever meets and falls in love with an American girl in the future, they won’t have to go through what you and your family did. 🙂
congrats!!!!!!
Everyone should be prepared that tomorrow will bring a slurry of articles about renouncements falling by 50%—that the effects of whatever the writer is Writing about are now gone away.
My heartfelt congratulations to you and your family, Swisspinoy!
Congratulations on your new arrival, SwissPinoy!!! :D: D
I am on the list. Renounced in March 2013 and got my CLN 6 weeks later. .My daughter who renounced in August is not. I am definately not a covered expatriate, but how would they know anyway, since i haven’t done my 8854 yet. I have no particular feelings now. I went through all that in March. I’m just relieved now that i am out of it and can now get on with planning my life and finances (although I still have the final year paperwork to get through).
I relinquished so I don’t think I’ll show up on these lists. I’m not ashamed of what I did either. I did what was right for my family. To do otherwise would be to make myself a burden to them.
Congrats to you Swisspinoy!!
@ALL, let’s not forget that when I went in in late September I was point blank told they were “backed up” with CLN’s. Then the shut down came when they were already backed up.
@CanuckDoc, from your experience it’s apparently not forms 8854 that provide the information to the Treasury Secretary to make the list. Maybe it’s just names on CLNs, but then why do some take so long to appear? And is it all CLNs or just ones for recent renunciations?
@anon
who knows? And some never seem to make it to the list. It will be interesting to see if the list is more accurate with someone new in charge, but doesn’t seem to be any better yet.
My CLN came in 6 weeks. My daughter renounced over 3 months ago and not a sign of a CLN Clearly there’s a backlog somewhere.