Children born abroad

I don't see that they can say anything against one traveling with a valid passport. And I agree that it is a risk to try to obtain a passport on short notice especially from the States.  Fundamentally, what Beppi has written is probably true but I think there is a legal detail being overlooked. Until one has contacted the US officials and gone through the process of having the child declared a citizen, he is not recognized as one even if the rules say he has a definite right to citizenship. What would be the other option if one can't get an American passport on time? One cannot just take the kid and claim he is American because of birth-right without obtaining the proper document which is a passport. To be sure, one should probably call the US consulate. But think about the scenario, the mother goes through passport control with the kid and presents herself and the kid with German passports. Why should they even question if the kid is eligible for an American passport? Presenting a valid passport cannot be seen as fraud when one doesn't have another.