Birthright Citizenship Panic: Indian Expectant Mothers in US Rush to Beat Trump’s Deadline

Birthright Citizenship Panic: Mid President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship amid his staunch anti-immigrant policies, many expectant Indian parents in the US are opting for early C-sections to deliver their babies before the deadline on 20th February.

Women undergoing C-sections are mostly in their eighth or ninth month of pregnancy, although some are still several weeks away from full term, as reported by Times of India.

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Dr. SD Rama, who works in a maternity hospital in New Jersey, states she had many requests for preterm deliveries. “A woman who is seven months pregnant came with her husband to schedule an early delivery. She’s due in March,” she told TOI.

Birthright citizenship deadline is perceived as critical because children born after February 20 to non-permanent residents will not automatically receive citizenship.

Ending automatic birthright citizenship would hugely shift immigration policy, possibly affecting millions of Indians in that country on temporary visas.

Birthright citizenship is the legal principle whereby children acquire a nationality based on the citizenship of the parents at the time and place of their birth.

Dr. SG Mukkala, an obstetrician in Texas, called for caution primarily about prematurity risks, including immature lungs, difficulties with feeding, low birth weight, and neurological illnesses.

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“I am trying to tell couples that even if it is possible, a preterm birth poses significant risk to mother and child. Complications include underdeveloped lungs, feeding problems, low birth weight, neurological complications and more. In the past two days, I have spoken to 15 to 20 couples regarding this,” the report quoted Mukkala as saying.

With green card waiting time some exceeding a hundred years, the sub-digital era was undoubtedly a safety net for many would-be parents, particularly India because the baby would now be a passport holder.

“We sacrificed so much to come here. Now, it feels like the door is closing on us,” said the H-1B holder, who is still a few months away from parenthood".

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