A federal judge in Utah has ruled that people born in the territory of American Samoa should be recognized as U.S. citizens.
It wasn't immediately clear if Thursday's ruling applies outside Utah. The cluster of islands in the Pacific is the only place in the country without an automatic claim to citizenship.
People born in American Samoa are labeled U.S. nationals, which means they pay taxes but can't vote, run for office or apply for certain government jobs. The judge sided with three people from American Samoa who sued to be recognized as citizens and ordered the government to issue them new passports.
The ruling will likely be appealed.
