Undocumented women ask: Will my unborn child be a citizen?

NEW YORK TIMES

Andrea Chavez, who arrived in the United States illegally almost two decades ago, gave birth to a baby girl last year in Maryland. Within days, the child had a Social Security number.

Ms. Chavez’s cousin Maria Calderas, who is undocumented and just a few months into her own pregnancy, faces the prospect that her child will not be able to secure the same citizenship rights that her niece now has.

On his first day in office, President Trump issued an order that seeks to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants. That right has been enshrined in the Constitution for more than 160 years, and experts say that stripping it away would require a constitutional amendment.

The incoming administration had made no secret of its intention to attack birthright citizenship, and hours after the order was issued lawsuits were filed by two coalitions of states and the American Civil Liberties Union, saying the directive violated the 14th Amendment’s citizenship provisions. Many lawyers have said the same thing.

But for a president who has made immigration a pillar of his agenda, the legal hurdles seem to be besides the point. Indeed, the Constitution seems little comfort to undocumented women like Ms. Calderas who are expecting to give birth to their children after the order goes into effect, 30 days from Jan. 20.

Ms. Calderas, who is from Guatemala, said Mr. Trump’s move stirred anxiety and uncertainty about the future of her family and especially her son. “It worries me that the new president doesn’t want to give citizenship to our baby,” she said. “This is where he will go to school and grow up. He will speak English like an American.”

READ MORE AT NEW YORK TIMES