Foreign women race to give birth before US citizenship ban

(CLO) President Donald Trump's executive order is causing many women from China and other countries in the US to seek early childbirth to secure citizenship for their children.

The executive order, signed by Trump on his first day back in the White House, requires agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. after February 19 if their parents are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

This order has been challenged in court by more than 20 states and is currently being blocked by federal judges, leaving the legal status of children born during this period uncertain.

Illustration photo: Unsplash

It is unclear how many children are born each year through "birth tourism," but the U.S. State Department estimates the number to be in the thousands, while the Center for Migration Studies puts the figure at around 20,000.

Yan, a 40-year-old consultant in Beijing, said many Chinese parents are worried about entering the U.S. while pregnant, as well as the possibility of obtaining passports for their children. He manages a group chat with over 370 members who plan to go to the U.S. to give birth.

According to Yan, at least five families he knows flew to the US before January 20th to avoid the risk of being denied entry after Trump's inauguration. Some mothers opted for C-sections to ensure their babies were born before the February 19th deadline.

Yan believes that citizenship by birth is the quickest and least expensive way to obtain a U.S. passport. He and his wife also came to the U.S. last year to have their child.

"It would be much more expensive to come to the U.S. on a student visa and then apply for a green card, and even then, success isn't guaranteed despite spending a lot of money," Yan said.

Since 2020, the U.S. State Department has stated it will deny tourist visas to those suspected of intending to come to the U.S. to give birth. Amidst this uncertainty, some foreign couples are considering Canada as an alternative.

Ngoc Anh (according to SCMP, NBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/phu-nu-nuoc-ngoai-chay-dua-sinh-con-truc-lenh-cam-quyen-cong-dan-cua-my-post337710.html