The Immigration Law That Will Make the United States a Global Soccer Powerhouse
For soccer (futbol) fans in the United States, it has been a struggle to slowly ingratiate soccer into the American sports pantheon, which is dominated by football, football, college football, and occasionally baseball. Soccer has been rising in prominence, thanks to some gritty and spectacular performances by the US Men’s and Women’s National Teams. The global game made enormous strides in 2014, as the country was struck with Soccer Fever during the World Cup. John Brooks deserves a statute for his goal against Ghana.
The Childhood Citizenship Act (CCA) of 2000 will make the United States a soccer power that will threaten the top teams. This month, 17 year old Gedion Zelalem expedited the process to obtain his passport. He has become a US citizen and will be eligible to play for the U.S. national team. The CCA is the reason why. Zelalem’s father turned his Permanent Residency into US Citizenship in 2014. As Zelalem was still under 18, a lawful permanent resident and in his father’s custody, his father’s naturalization allowed him to receive US citizenship automatically, even though he was born in Berlin to two Ethiopian parents. Zelalem immigrated to the United States as an eight year old in 2005 and was eligible to join either Ethiopia, Germany, or the United States national teams.
There are many great soccer players in Zelalem’s situation. Many players in the European Union are faced with similar situations and have to choose a country based on citizenship laws and heritage, such as Jerome and Kevin Boateng, Adnan Janujaz, Lionel Messi, Diego Costa, Danny Welbeck, and Stephen El-Sharaawy. We are thankful that Zelalem has chosen the United States, much like the German-Americans chose the United States. Thank you Congress and thank you Zelalem. We wish Zelalem the best of luck as he starts his career with Arsenal FC and cannot wait to see him lead USMNT to international glory.