Donald Trump intends to remove the automatic US citizenship granted to children born in the United States in cases where neither parent is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. Donald Trump is anticipated to make this change on his first day in office, according to a draft executive order that was made public on his official campaign website. Children born in the United States will no longer be automatically eligible for U.S. citizenship unless at least one parent is a citizen or has a green card, should this order go into force.
The Possible Effect of the Green Card Backlog on Indian Immigrants
Those Indians in the backlog of employment-based green card applicants may be especially affected by the proposed policy change. Backlogs in the EB-2 and EB-3 visa categories cause many Indian immigrants to have a considerable delay in gaining permanent status. According to a 2023 study by the Cato Institute, over a million Indians are still seeking green cards, and some may have to wait up to 134 years.
Future generations are also at risk because of the delay. When they turn 21, more than 100,000 youngsters from Indian households may experience challenges as they no longer qualify for dependent visas. These young adults would have to self-deport or apply for a new visa, like a student visa, in order to remain in the United States if they were not granted automatic citizenship. Due to the possibility that their children may no longer be eligible for U.S. citizenship, this obstacle adds to the stress already experienced by Indian families awaiting their green cards.
Effects on Indian-Americans Are Widespread
About 4.8 million Indian-Americans reside in the United States, with 34% of them having been born here, according to the 2022 U.S. Census. Even while many of these families might not be directly harmed, this policy may have an impact on subsequent generations and add to the community’s sense of unpredictability. There may be pressure on certain Indian families in the backlog to expedite their citizenship process or risk their children losing their eligibility for automatic U.S. citizenship.
What Comes Next?
The order may contradict conventional readings of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which confers citizenship on anyone born in the United States, if it is implemented. As the executive order develops, Indian-Americans and other immigrant communities will probably be closely monitoring the situation. There may be legal challenges that raise concerns about whether the order violates established U.S. citizenship laws. Many people are currently preparing for a big change in the rights of immigrant families in America in the future.
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