What does diplomatic immunity mean for Americans ?
It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity for diplomats. For somebody working as a diplomat in a foreign country, they’re immune from prosecution for any crime. If an American diplomat is working in a country that is hostile to the United States, this prevents that country from arresting the American as a form of harassment. Americans absolutely have immunity in other countries, and foreign diplomats have immunity if they’re assigned to the United States. This technically means that they could get away with any crime and the only thing the country could do would be to send them back home to their original country. The home country can waive diplomatic immunity and allow the person to be prosecuted, but this rarely happens. Periodically countries that are having bad relations will declare diplomats from the enemy country “persona non grata” meaning that the diplomats are no longer welcome and have to leave right away. The Soviet Union/Russia and the US do this all the time and are always maki
If her father was a diplomat from a foreign country, he would have diplomatic immunity and his children would have diplomatic immunity. Her being an American citizen doesn’t change anything. She is still the daughter of a diplomat and would still have immunity. She could be kicked out the country though.
Americans would only have diplomatic immunity if they had it because of service for another country, or through parents serving as diplomats. A foreign diplomat could have a child in the US, making that child a US citizen. In his capacity as the representative of a foreign power, the diplomat AND his children would have some form of immunity. Note that diplomats who invoke their rights to immunity are routinely expelled from the country and declared persona non grata (meaning no longer welcome). Most serious crimes by diplomats result in the foreign country waiving immunity or even prosecuting in their own country.. The practice is meant to prevent host countries from arresting diplomats on trumped up charges, it’s not meant to shield diplomats from any consequences.
