"Just" a proof is sometimes what really matters, and becomes a deciding factor whether somebody gets a tangible benefit or doesn't.
That's true
She absolutely can and should.
Great idea.
The only caveat, passport and passport card are issued by DOS, and not USCIS. Sometimes government agencies and employers really need certificate of citizenship, else goodbye.
REAL ID has nothing to do with citizenship status. It can be issued to anybody on temporary visas, even to tourist, as long as they give correct documentation proving legal status. You may be confusing it with EDL. But EDL is only issued by few states, and EDL is only issued to US citizens.
Levels of difficulty getting citizenship proved:
- Now - EASY
- after 5 years - MEDIUM
- after 10 years - somewhat HARD
- after 20 years - potentially DIFFICULT
As you may know, over the time, people forget details, lose paperwork. Agencies lose records. 1 document showing undebatable proof of citizenship is worth getting sooner than later. Passports were known to be issued in error by DOS, and were and are questioned from time to time by agencies.