Alaska prosecution of American Samoans turns on meaning of the Citizenship clause
Mon, 04/06/2026 - 7:53am
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 2, 2026, the day after the U.S. Supreme Court took up the meaning of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in Trump v.

![Michael Pese, his wife Tupe Smith, and two of their children [courtesy photo] Pese family](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/michael_pese_family.png?itok=g4jvuXBI)
![The Governor also pointed out that while the Executive Branch’s proposed revenue estimate for FY 2026 reflected the $23 million reduction, the Judiciary’s budget request remained unchanged, and the Legislature’s request increased. [SN file photo] Governor Pulaalii Nikolao Pula](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/gov_pula_0672_0.jpg?itok=gTyS1Sfh)







