For decades and more, being born on United States soil assured citizenship as a birthright. On Monday, January 20, President Donald Trump, a mere few hours after his inauguration, signed off on an executive order restricting birthright citizenship in the United States. The date of commencement for the same stood pegged at February 19.
Revolting in its own right, several Democrat states and immigrant groups alike, moved the judiciary to block the effort, something which appears to have come to a temporary fruition. On January 23, a federal judge in Seattle, issued a temporary restraining order to block the executive order, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional". "I am having trouble understanding how a member of the bar could state unequivocally that this order is constitutional. It just boggles my mind", expressed Judge Coughenour. For some constitutional context, birthright citizenship stands assured under the 14th Amendment in the United States: "All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside".
Trump, will "obviously appeal it". As the future of birthright citizenship in America hangs on by a thread (or just a few more), the panicked state of immigrant communities in the US, particularly the Indian diaspora, is showcasing itself in a rather peculiar way — a sharp spike in C-sections, a significant amount of them being for pre-term deliveries to ensure the arrival of the baby well within the 'due date' of the executive order. If you can't quite gauge the extremity of the desperation, the debate for expecting immigrant parents in the US really has become about deciding between arranging citizenship for their babies and in the process, potentially compromising the long-term immunity and health of both the mother and child. Is the risk really worth the reward in this case? Some believe so. Dr. S Rama, who runs a maternity clinic in New Jersey, speaking to TOI, revealed how he has already counselled 15 to 20 couples about this same conundrum. "A seven months pregnant woman came with her husband to sign up for a preterm delivery. She isn't due until some time in March", he shared.
{{/usCountry}}Trump, will "obviously appeal it". As the future of birthright citizenship in America hangs on by a thread (or just a few more), the panicked state of immigrant communities in the US, particularly the Indian diaspora, is showcasing itself in a rather peculiar way — a sharp spike in C-sections, a significant amount of them being for pre-term deliveries to ensure the arrival of the baby well within the 'due date' of the executive order. If you can't quite gauge the extremity of the desperation, the debate for expecting immigrant parents in the US really has become about deciding between arranging citizenship for their babies and in the process, potentially compromising the long-term immunity and health of both the mother and child. Is the risk really worth the reward in this case? Some believe so. Dr. S Rama, who runs a maternity clinic in New Jersey, speaking to TOI, revealed how he has already counselled 15 to 20 couples about this same conundrum. "A seven months pregnant woman came with her husband to sign up for a preterm delivery. She isn't due until some time in March", he shared.
{{/usCountry}}Tense times ahead from the looks of it.
Where do you stand on the moral and logistical implications of the possibility of birthright citizenship being done away with in the United States?