When Trump sets his sights on something, he doesn’t just shake the tree – he chops it down. The latest victim of his policy axe? Birthright citizenship. His executive order to end automatic citizenship for babies born to non-permanent residents on US soil is sending expectant parents into a frenzy. And if you thought Indians were chill about this, think again.
In New Jersey, the land of ambitious Indian parents, obstetricians are fielding frantic calls about preterm C-sections. The reason? A mad dash to deliver babies before the February 20 deadline. Some are even contemplating births in the air, on water, or wherever a glimpse of American jurisdiction might shine.
Mid-air citizenship
I once had a colleague back in Qatar whose baby boy became a US citizen quite literally mid-air. His wife delivered their child as the plane soared above American airspace. Now, imagine that boy growing up with an origin story that beats any Marvel superheroes. ‘Where were you born?’ they would ask. ‘Somewhere above Kansas, 30,000 feet high,’ he could reply. Imagine the pride – and confusion – in his voice.
This makes you wonder: Will anxious expectant mothers now schedule long-haul flights with their due dates pencilled in? ‘Boarding now: Delta Flight 456 – New York to New Delhi with a brief layover in American citizenship.’
Shortcut to the American dream hits a snag
President Donald Trump’s deadline has essentially ended what was, for many, a coveted shortcut to the American dream. Families on H-1B visas, already stuck in green card backlogs, are devastated. A young couple who have been in the US for eight years and were banking on their unborn child securing citizenship. Now, they face sleepless nights – not because of the baby kicking, but of Trump kicking their plans out the door.
Meanwhile, obstetricians are sounding the alarm on the health risks of preterm deliveries. ‘I had a woman who isn’t due until March asking me to schedule a C-section in January,’ sighed an obstetrician and gynecologist in Texas. ‘I told her, ‘Your baby’s lungs need more time than your green card process.’” But her panic was palpable.
Desperate times, desperate deliveries
Then there’s an undocumented immigrant in California who had pinned his hopes on his unborn child granting his family a chance at stability. ‘We thought of seeking asylum, but then my wife got pregnant. Our lawyer suggested birthright citizenship was our way out. Now we’re stranded,’ he lamented. His plan of salvation has turned into a cautionary tale.
But it is not just not him. Social media is buzzing with stories of parents-to-be Googling ‘what counts as Us soil’, in hopes of finding creative ways to deliver their American dream. Private jets, cruise ships, and even rented Airbnb homes near military bases are being discussed.
The final countdown
As the February deadline looms, expectant parents are caught between Trump’s no-nonsense order and the biological clock. What was once a joyous countdown to parenthood now feels like a ticking time bomb.
And while Trump’s birthright ban might mean an end to these ‘creative’ citizenship solutions, you have to admit: it has given us a bizarre new category of headlines. Who knew the American dream could become this literal?