Indians living in the U.S. are gripped with fear over birthright citizenship following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The panic among Indian Americans is so intense that thousands of expectant mothers have chosen to give birth prematurely, disregarding strict medical warnings, to secure U.S. citizenship for their children. Trump’s policies have cast uncertainty over the citizenship rights of children born to Indian parents residing in the U.S. on H-1B and L-1 visas.
Some Indian expatriates are in the U.S. on H-1B and L-1 visas, some as permanent residents, and others as citizens. Nearly half of the Indian diaspora in the U.S. resides in California, Texas, New Jersey, and New York. On his first day in office, Donald Trump signed 12 executive orders, one of which eliminated the automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. These changes, combined with the declaration of a national emergency at the borders, have dashed the dreams of millions of Indians who aspired to a prosperous and luxurious life in America.
As per Trump’s administration, no child born to non-U.S. citizen parents will automatically acquire American citizenship. This directive, signed on January 20, will take effect on February 20, giving a one-month window. Foreign nationals residing in the U.S. on H-1B and L-1 visas, or as permanent residents, will no longer have their children granted U.S. citizenship by birth unless one of the parents is already an American citizen. This policy will render countless children of Indian parents stateless, causing an existential crisis for these families.
Recognizing the situation, thousands of Indians have rushed to hospitals across the country, aiming to deliver their babies before the February 20 deadline. News of this surge has sparked widespread attention. On January 20, Donald Trump, as the 47th U.S. President, revoked the right to birthright citizenship through his executive orders.
Previously, even children born to mothers visiting the U.S. on tourist visas were granted American citizenship. However, faced with Trump’s “deadline,” many Indian-American couples have turned to the option of “preterm C-sections.” This involves disregarding the mandatory gestational period and delivering babies prematurely. Many Indian mothers on H-1B and L-1 visas have been admitted to hospitals and undergone preterm C-sections before January 20. Thousands of expectant mothers are still hospitalized for the same reason.
A “preterm C-section” refers to delivering a baby via cesarean section before the 35-week gestation period, whereas normal pregnancies are considered full-term at 35-40 weeks. Except in cases of extreme medical complications, doctors and expectant mothers usually avoid preterm deliveries due to potential health risks for the baby. However, thousands of Indian couples have ignored these risks to deliver their babies early and secure U.S. citizenship under the previous law. Some mothers, even in their seventh month of pregnancy, have delivered their babies prematurely to meet the deadline, according to Dr. S.D. Rama, a maternity clinic physician in New Jersey.
Dr. Rama stated, “I advised one expectant mother against it. Her due date was in March, but she refused to listen and opted for an early delivery.” He added that Indian couples continue to flood hospitals in their desperation.
Dr. S.G. Mukalla, a physician in Texas, shared similar experiences, saying that he warned Indian parents about the risks of preterm deliveries. In response, one of the H-1B holder says, “We’ve sacrificed so much to live here, but now it feels like the door to our dreams is closing. Please help us secure our child’s future.”
Trump’s directive, which will take effect on February 20, has caused widespread panic, prompting Indian-American families to take extreme measures to secure citizenship for their children. Hospitals across the U.S. are seeing an unprecedented influx of Indian mothers seeking preterm deliveries, raising ethical and health concerns about the implications of such actions.