Donald Trump’s first day as the 47th President of the United States was highlighted by a major initiative aimed at transforming the nation’s immigration policies.
Donald Trump’s first day as the 47th President of the United States was marked by a significant move to reshape the country’s immigration landscape. He signed an executive order targeting several immigration laws, including the long-standing principle of birthright citizenship. This action has ignited intense debate and is anticipated to encounter substantial legal challenges.
At the center of the controversy is the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which grants citizenship to all individuals born in the United States. The 14th Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
However, Trump’s executive order aims to reinterpret this amendment, claiming that children born to undocumented parents do not have the right to automatic citizenship. This significant policy shift is expected to affect millions of Indian-Americans living in the US, many of whom have been waiting for green cards for years or even decades.
The Trump administration has labeled birthright citizenship as “ridiculous” and argues that abolishing it will help reduce illegal immigration. “The 14th Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States,” Trump stated in the order.
However, critics argue that this decision will only further marginalize vulnerable communities and create uncertainty for immigrant families. The implications of this policy are extensive, potentially disrupting schools, workplaces, and entire neighborhoods.
The policy change is scheduled to take effect 30 days after the order is issued, a move likely to spark legal challenges.
One of the most significant impacts of this policy will be on Indian families who have relied on birth tourism to secure US citizenship for their children. Birth tourism, which involves traveling to the US to give birth, has been a common practice among Mexican and Indian families. However, Trump’s new policy is expected to effectively end this practice.
According to the US Census Bureau, around 5 million Indian Americans currently live in the US, accounting for about 1.47 percent of the population. Of these, only 34 percent are born in the US, while the remaining two-thirds are immigrants.
Most Indian nationals working in the US hold H1-B visas, meaning that hundreds of Indian-origin children born on US soil will not receive automatic citizenship under President Trump’s executive order.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has raised concerns about the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order, pointing to the clear language of the 14th Amendment regarding birthright citizenship. The ACLU has also emphasized the potential for mass deportations, family separations, and other human rights violations stemming from Trump’s immigration policies.
In a press release, the ACLU stated, “Immigrants’ rights advocates today sued the Trump administration over its executive order that seeks to strip certain babies born in the United States of their U.S. citizenship.”
As the conflict over birthright citizenship and immigration reform escalates, the destinies of millions of families remain in jeopardy. Legal challenges are expected to be instrumental in influencing the course of this contentious policy. Ultimately, the resolution will depend on the dedication of advocates, lawmakers, and the judiciary to protect the rights of marginalized communities and uphold the values of justice and equality embedded in the US Constitution.