The pregnant women who fear Trump’s birthright citizenship order
About two dozen states have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration contesting the birthright citizenship order, which experts say violates the 14th Amendment.
Nivida, an immigrant from Honduras who is in her late 20s, expects to give birth to a boy in April. What would normally be a time of excitement for her growing family is instead shadowed by a deep fear that they will be torn apart.
President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship could mean their baby would be left without the same rights as their other child, who was born in Louisiana as an American citizen.
Nivida is from Honduras and her husband is from Mexico, they currently live in Louisiana. Her husband has an open application for a special visa for victims of a crime that could eventually lead to lawful permanent residency, a process that could take years, according to Nivida and court documents from the advocacy group representing her case. She had an initial asylum application in the immigration court that was recently dismissed, according to Nivida the court documents, but is still able to file another asylum case with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Nivida's U.S.-born first child touches her belly.Courtesy attorney“I don’t want them to take away the citizenship of innocent babies born here, it shouldn’t matter the status of their parents, their race, their color, they shouldn’t be discriminated against,” said Nivida in Spanish, who asked that her full name not be used out of fear of immigration reprisal and her safety. “I believe violating the protection that the Constitution gives to a child born here is violating his or her rights as an individual.”
Last week, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, the immigrant services organization CASA and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law filed a lawsuit on behalf of five pregnant women and ASAP and CASA’s members against Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship, which he called “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.
Rating: 5