Athira Sethu
Kochi, 23 January 2025
There has been a flurry of preterm C-sections being performed by many Indian parents to deliver their babies in the United States before February 20 so they can become citizens automatically, all because of an announcement that non-permanent residents’ babies born within the borders will no longer have automatic U.S. citizenship as pronounced by President Donald Trump.
Since the announcement of Trump on January 20, doctors have seen an increase in requests for early C-sections. “Many pregnant women, especially those in their eighth or ninth month, want to deliver before the deadline,” said Dr. S D Rama, a maternity doctor. Some are even planning for births before their due dates. Dr. Rama shared that one patient, seven months pregnant, came in to schedule a delivery even though she was not due until March.
However, doctors say that early birth is dangerous and can pose complications. According to Dr. S G Mukkala, an obstetrician in Texas, there are possibilities for underdeveloped lungs and feeding difficulties in newborn babies. Mukkala also said that for the last couple of days, he has been talking to quite a few couples about these risks.
The other aspect that drives many to go in for early delivery is the lengthy wait for green cards. Many families have been waiting for years and hoped their children would be born in the U.S. to secure their future. Varun, a man who has been in the U.S. for eight years, said his family was depending on their child being born there to stay stable. He and his wife have been waiting six years for their green cards and are worried about the new rules.
Even more worrisome for those families without legal status is the deadline. For eight years, Vijay has been living in the United States without a valid immigration status. He and his wife had thought that a child would make them citizens. But with this new policy, he feels he cannot be certain of what tomorrow holds.
Most of the parents are really scared by these changes and their impacts on the family.
