Indian-American lawmakers have strongly opposed the recent executive order by US President Donald Trump regarding changes in birthright citizenship. This move is expected to impact not only illegal immigrants from various countries but also students and professionals from India.
On Monday, during the initial hours of his second term as president, Trump signed an order stating that future children born to undocumented immigrants would no longer be considered citizens. This order would even affect the children of some mothers who are legally living in the country temporarily, such as foreign students or tourists.
Trump's executive order argues that the children of such non-citizens are not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States, thus excluding them from the 14th Amendment's constitutional guarantee.
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna expressed concern that the changes in birthright citizenship through the executive order would impact newborn babies of not only illegal immigrants but also those residing legally in the country, such as H-1B visa holders.
The H-1B visa is crucial for US companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields. Technology companies, in particular, rely on this visa to employ skilled professionals from countries like India and China.
Khanna criticized the order for removing birthright citizenship for children born in the US to parents on student visas, H-1B/H2B visas, or business visas. He emphasized that this contradicts the Republicans' stance on legal immigration.
Indian professionals are major beneficiaries of the H-1B visas, with many skilled workers from India securing these visas annually. Despite Trump's actions, birthright citizenship remains the law, and lawmakers like Shri Thanedar are committed to defending it.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemned the executive order as unconstitutional, stating that it undermines the country's laws and constitutional precedents. Immigration rights groups have already challenged this order in court on the grounds of its unconstitutionality.
According to the order, the US will no longer grant automatic citizenship to newborn babies after February 19, 2025, if one of the parents is not a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.
