Office of the Attorney General, Saipan – Attorney General Edward Manibusan is pleased to announce that the 38th Annual Attorney General’s Cup speech competition will be held on Friday, May 2nd, 2025 at 9:00 am at the Guma Hustisia Supreme Court Courtroom. This event coincides with the Law Day events in the CNMI.
“I am excited to announce the return of the AG’s Cup speech competition, as this competition provides our youth with a great opportunity to research a topic of current event and interest and to have their voices heard,” stated Attorney General Manibusan. “The Steering Committee and I are proud to resume this event for the benefit of our students and our community,” he continued.
The topic for the 38th annual speech competition is on Birthright Citizenship. The United States Supreme Court in the landmark case of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898), held that the Fourteenth Amendment “affirms the ancient and fundamental rule of citizenship by birth within the territory, in the allegiance and under the protection of the country, including all children born here of resident aliens” are United States citizens. With some exceptions for foreign dignitaries, those born on foreign public ships, and those born to enemies during a hostile occupation of the territory, those born on United States soil are American citizens. This is known as birthright citizenship.
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in approving and signing the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America gained American citizenship under section 301 through 304. Presently, “[a]ll persons born in the Commonwealth on or after [November 4, 1986] and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States will be citizens of the United States at birth.” Wong Kim Ark was a Japanese National born in Germany
The birthright citizenship guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment and Section 303 of the Covenant are currently being debated in the CNMI and in the United States.
Attorney General Manibusan welcomes the public to attend the event and support the students of the CNMI.
For more information on the speech competition, please contact Ms. Andrea M. Kaipat at the Office of the Attorney General at 670-237-7500/7600 or through email at andrea_kaipat@cnmioag.org.