Despite two federal judges blocking President Donald Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship, Indian couples expecting children in the US are in a fix.

An Indian couple, both engineers on H-1B visas, have spent over a decade working in the US and expected their son, due on February 26, to be born an American citizen, as per a report by the BBC. Settled in San Jose, California, they built a stable life with the support of a large tech firm’s parental leave policy.

The looming uncertainty of citizenship has left the couple –  Akshay Pise and Neha Satpute and thousands of others in limbo.

Despite the uncertainty, Neha has chosen to proceed with a natural delivery rather than rushing the process.

Recently, reports suggested an unusual trend, that Indian women who are expecting a child are asking for C-sections in their eighth and ninth months of pregnancy. 

However, an Ohio-based doctor told the media that physicians are ethical in the US and won’t perform premature C-sections unless medically necessary.

Notably, US citizenship is highly sought after, particularly by skilled H-1B visa holders. Indians represent the second-largest immigrant group in the country.

A birthright citizenship order would hit Indians hard with more than five million Indians in the US holding non-immigrant visas, as per the BBC.

Many long-term Indian immigrants in the US face growing uncertainty over citizenship policies, particularly under Trump’s new order.

Akshay, waiting in the green card queue for years, emphasises the challenges of travel, visa coordination, and raising a child without citizenship security. 

Physicians highlight the vital role of Indian doctors in rural America and call for a faster green card process and birthright citizenship for their children. 

Expectant mothers like Neha and another expecting woman Priyanshi Jajoo expressed anxiety over unclear policies, fearing added hurdles for their newborns. “After a decade here, we expected stability—now, even our baby’s citizenship is in question,” said Neha to the media.

Her husband Akshay adds, “As legal, tax-paying immigrants, our baby deserves US citizenship – it’s been the law, right?”

Also read:

Indians in US rush for preterm deliveries after Trump ends birthright citizenship

Trump ends birthright citizenship: How will it affect Indians?