Trump birthright citizenship order could leave U.S.-born babies of asylum-seekers 'stateless,' attorneys say

The situation could be particularly complicated for asylum-seekers from countries like Venezuela, which doesn't have diplomatic ties with the U.S.

A lawsuit filed against President Donald Trump by five pregnant women and several immigrant groups warns that Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship could render babies born to some asylum-seekers "stateless."

The executive order Trump signed Monday, titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, attempts to limit birthright citizenship to people who have at least one parent who is a United States citizen or permanent resident. It also states that those born to parents who are in the country legally, but temporarily, will no longer be automatically guaranteed citizenship.

A federal district court in Seattle on Thursday temporarily blocked the order limiting birthright citizenship, preventing it from going into effect for 14 days. The case is ongoing.

The situation could be particularly complicated for asylum-seekers from Venezuela, which no longer has an embassy or consulates in the U.S.

If birthright citizenship is revoked and a child were born in the U.S. to Venezuelan asylum-seekers, the parents would have trouble registering their child as a Venezuelan citizen due to the lack of diplomatic offices here, thus making the child “stateless,” at least temporarily, plaintiffs’ attorneys said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-birthright-citizenship-order-babies-stateless-rcna189002

---