The number of Indian Americans residing in the US is estimated at well over 5 million. The Indian American community accounts for 1.47% of the US population. Over 1/3rd of the Indian Diaspora community was born in the US.
Incoming US President Donald Trump after reiterating his stance on tariffs and illegal immigrants recently stated that he intends to end the birthright citizenship.
The right to birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th amendment of the US constitution. Says the amendment:
“All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump who has been critical of US immigration policies dubbed citizenship by birthright as “ridiculous” and said that it leads to “birth tourism”. Said the incoming US President in an interview:
“If somebody sets a foot — just a foot, one foot, you don’t need two — on our land, congratulations, you are now a citizen of the United States of America,”
Tom Homan who will be the border czar in the incoming Trump Administration remarked:
“If you come in the country and have a child, that’s on you. You can either take the child with you, but that’s on you,”
Impact of such a decision on the Indian community in the US
The number of Indian Americans residing in the US is estimated at well over 5 million. The Indian American community accounts for 1.47% of the US population. Over 1/3rd of the Indian Diaspora community was born in the US.
If Trump were to remove birthright citizenship, a significant percentage of Indian Americans in the US will be impacted. It will especially impact children who have been born to individuals with Green cards or H1-B visas.
How would prospective students respond to Trump’s statement?
It is not just these citizens, but individuals who are keen to pursue higher education in the US with the objective of securing citizenship for whom the US may become less attractive if the incoming Trump administration makes revisions pertaining to student and work visas. Indians constitute a significant percentage of the international student community (an estimated 29%). It would be pertinent to point out, that several top US institutions have written to international students to return to the US before January 20, 2025
In Trump’s previous tenure he was able to make changes to regulations pertaining to H1-b visas. Several expat professionals, including Indian IT professionals working in the US, shifted from US to other countries – especially Canada. At present, even the countries which were attractive alternatives to the US, for Indian students and professionals, have
changed their approach towards immigration and introduced new regulations for international students
Obstacles which Trump is likely to face
Trump will find it difficult to go ahead with his proposal regarding putting an end to ‘birth right citizenship. The proposal is already facing scathing criticism from several quarters. Though some believe, that Trump this time go ahead with the proposal of birthright citizenship by putting an end to issuing passports for children of illegal immigrants.
Other countries in the Anglosphere are also seeking to check the inflow of immigrants
Like many of Trump’s statements, this proposal needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. At the same time, it raises many points. First, while Trump’s utterances get more attention massive revisions are being made to immigration policies across the Anglosphere – countries like UK, Canada, Australia have made significant changes with the objective of checking the inflow of immigrants. Second, Trump himself has stated that he is open to immigrants who have skills. Tesla CEO Elon Musk in October 2024 (days before the US Presidential election result came out) said:
“We have an upside-down system that makes it difficult for highly skilled individuals to enter the US legally, while it’s almost effortless for criminals to do so illegally. Why is it easier for a murderer to cross the border unlawfully than for a Nobel Laureate to enter legally?
Musk has also been appointed co-head of Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE.
Third, it is a wake-up call for students from the developing world – especially India – who prefer countries in the Anglosphere solely because it is easier to get residency and citizenship. They should also look at other alternatives for higher education and work in Western Europe as well as in the Non-western world. In the long run it is important to create world class educational institutions and opportunities in India so that migrating abroad is not a default choice for many students and professionals with skills and talent.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own and do not reflect those of DNA.)
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