🚀 go-pugleaf

>> I was told that the US officials would not consider it a 
>>transgression for a minor to have two passports (she, obviously, could 
>>not speak for the Indian authorities).  In spite of her assurances, I 
>>remain *very* skeptical.  It would also be incredibly unethical, if 
>>nothing else, and perhaps illegal. 
India does not allow an individual to have two passports,  even a
minor.

>>If, at the port of entry, I 
>>show them my son's birth certificate, will they ask us all to return to 
>>India (after nearly ten years of residence in the US), or are they 
>>going to put only my son (who will be about a year old then) on an 
>>India-bound airplane?  Sarcasm aside, I wouldn't want to fool around 
>>with them.  (It's not in very good taste, but a friend of mine jokes 
>>that the N in the INS stands for "Nazi.") 

A very definite possibility.  A friend of mine went through hell.
The INS office at LA Airport, told him that he and hiw wife can go,
but they will have to detain his year old daughter, even though they
had her endorsed in his wife's passport and produced a US birth
certificate.  The INS officials explanation,  how do I know this
child is the same!!!  He really went through hell,  called lawyers,
etc and it took him about 10 hours to straighten the thing out.  The
last thing you need after a long journey from India!!  

The first thing my friend did when he got back was to get his kid an
US passport and have her name deleted form his wife's passport.

I have used an US passport for my daughter and other than the hassel
of getting an Indian Visa,  there were no problems at all.