All eyes are set on January 20, 2025 when the US President-elect Donald Trump will enter White House for the second time. Prior to his inauguration, there is a lot of discussion about how his policies will take a leap away from what it is today under Democrats. Efforts like formation of DOGE and key appointments to some of the most crucial positions have intrigued almost every one. In one such proposed move, Trump recently announced that he would end birthright US citizenship in order to pin illegal immigration to ground.
He said, “We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous.” According to Trump, current policy encourages illegal immigration and “birth tourism.” Notably, as per 14th Amendment of the US Constitution any person who is born on US territory becomes a US citizen automatically.
Scrapping such a law will undoubtedly crush the burgeoning crisis of unwanted US citizens due to illegal immigration. However, this could also affect Indians who make up a significant strength. As of 2024, Indian American have a population of 5.4 million, accounting for 1.47% of the US population. According to reports, approximately two-thirds are immigrants, while 34% are born in the US.
However, experts believe that it is highly unlikely because in his previous administration he didn’t do anything to further this agenda despite making such calls for over a decade. Besides, the change will call for the Constitutional amendment which would face strong tests on the floor of the Congress.
But it is not solely a case of legal complexities, rather it is also a case of how it will affect the United States and its economy. While curbing illegal immigration is necessarily a much-needed decision to make, the ill effects of ending birthright US citizenship on an efficient Indian origin community that has benefited the US economy is not something that any administration would like.
So if Trump wants to go with giving up on birthright citizenship, he would need to devise a mechanism that could help in weeding out illegals. One such step could be what the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed recently.
DHS will extend the automatic work permit renewal period for spouses of H-1B and L-1 visa holders from 180 days to 540 days.
But still, it is far from what is desired to fill the wedge that could be created by ending birthright citizenship. In fact, it is not even synonymous to what is expected.
So, in order to separate the wheat from the chaff, the US President-elect must take a step that resonates with his commitment to tackling illegal immigration repercussions but that must not affect the effectiveness of the US economy, in which the people of Indian origin are the biggest contributors.
