YSK: How to document that you are a US citizen
https://www.usa.gov/prove-us-citizenship
The most common way to show that you are a US citizen is to show a passport. However, only about 50% of US citizens have a passport.
An alternative to a passport is a Certificate of Citizenship.
Certificates of Citizenship and Naturalization show proof that someone is a U.S. citizen. The website https://www.usa.gov/prove-us-citizenship shows how you can get or replace these documents.
Prove your citizenship: born in the U.S. with no birth certificate. If you were born in the U.S. and have no birth certificate, learn how to get documentation to prove you are a U.S. citizen.
Prove your citizenship: born outside the U.S. to a U.S. citizen parent. Prove your U.S. citizenship without a birth certificate if you were born outside the U.S. to a U.S. citizen.
ICE is not asking people for proof of citizenship. They are pulling up in unmarked vehicles, wearing masks, and grabbing people off the street.
I agree you should make sure you do have proof. But don’t expect it to stop armed masked thugs if they roll up for you.
I know it is possible for some people to get a second, valid passport if they travel often enough, so that they can travel when one is being renewed, or if they travel between countries where a visa stamp from some other country might deny them entry.
Maybe “I look brown so ICE may confiscate my passport without due process” can now be a reason to get a second valid passport …
Elsewhere in a comment someone mentioned Passport Cards. iirc they’re only valid for travel to Mexico and Canada, but they are proofs of citizenship, and you can have a card as well as a passport.
Its the passport that also works for domestic air travel now that they banned drivers’ licenses.
It does not have your address on it, so its a safer document to use to prove your age.
* banned drivers licenses that don’t meet the requirements that have had their implementation date pushed back repeatedly for a decade+. We will do anything and everything but have an actual national ID.
I don’t think any drivers licenses count as proof of citizenship though. (Even before, as noted, factoring in that they’re not looking.)