Birthright citizenship ban: 5 ways this executive order of Trump could disrupt the lives of skilled immigrants in the US – The Times of India

For decades, the US has been a magnet for global talent, attracting skilled professionals with its economic stability and unmatched career opportunities. But that reality is shifting under Donald Trump. Within hours of taking office, Trump moved to dismantle birthright citizenship, a bedrock of US immigration policy, throwing thousands of skilled workers and their families into uncertainty.
The rollback, positioned as a crackdown on what the administration calls legal loopholes, has ignited fierce debate. Supporters argue it will prevent misuse of the system, while critics warn it undercuts America’s long-held identity as a nation built by immigrants.
For the professionals who moved to the US in search of opportunity, the stakes couldn’t be higher. With their children’s citizenship rights now in legal limbo and long-term stability in question, they face an uncertain future in a country that once seemed like a guaranteed safe haven. As legal challenges mount and the policy battle heats up, skilled workers find themselves at the center of an immigration storm—one that could redefine who gets to call America home.

Skilled workers caught off guard

For decades, debates over birthright citizenship in the US have primarily focused on undocumented immigration. But in a dramatic shift, the latest executive order extends its reach to legally residing skilled workers, leaving thousands of professionals in limbo.
For foreign workers in technology, finance, and healthcare, the impact is profound. With no automatic citizenship for their US-born children, anxiety is rising over long-term stability. Critics warn that this could erode the US’s reputation as a magnet for global talent—forcing many to reconsider their future in the country. Here is how skilled foreign workers are being impacted.
Family Security at Risk
Many professionals built their lives in the US believing their children would automatically gain citizenship. Now, they face the prospect of statelessness or navigating uncertain immigration pathways, disrupting their long-term plans.
Career and Residency Uncertainty
Without birthright citizenship as an anchor, skilled workers may lose a key route to permanent residency, forcing some to leave the US for countries with more stable immigration policies.
Legal and Financial Burdens
Already complex immigration processes will become even more costly and convoluted, with parents forced to secure visas and legal protections for their children—at great personal expense.
Threat to Children’s Futures
US-born children of skilled workers will lose access to education benefits, scholarships, and federal job opportunities, limiting their career prospects and forcing families to explore options abroad.
Global Talent Shift
With Canada and Australia offering clearer citizenship pathways, the US risks losing highly skilled professionals who may opt for more predictable immigration systems, ultimately weakening America’s standing in the global job market.

Will the US workforce be impacted?

Figures from the Pew Research Center suggest that over 30 million immigrants were part of the US labour force in 2022, with more than 22 million being lawful residents. Numerous professionals have contributed to industries significantly that are highly reliant on specialised skills. The tech sector, especially, is highly dependent on the footfall of talent from countries such as India, with major corporations sponsoring these workers for long-term employment and permanent residency.
The potential annulment of birthright citizenship puts a question mark on talent retention. If children born to skilled foreign workers in the US are denied citizenship, it may discourage highly qualified professionals from pursuing career opportunities in the country. This will directly lead to dire repercussions across industries that rely on the influx of international expertise.

A legal battle with high stakes

What began as an executive order, signed within hours of Trump taking office, is now mired in legal challenges. Federal courts in Maryland, Washington, and New Hampshire have blocked its enforcement, ruling that such a sweeping change cannot be enacted by executive order alone. Legal scholars argue that altering birthright citizenship requires a constitutional amendment, a politically fraught process that demands two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of US states—an uphill battle by any measure.
Even as the courts intervene, the damage is already unfolding. The order bars citizenship for children born to parents who are neither US citizens nor green card holders, putting skilled professionals on student and work visas in an uncertain limbo. The policy has sown confusion and anxiety among immigrant families, forcing many to grapple with an unsettling reality: that their American-born children may now face legal ambiguity, restricted rights, and an uncertain future in the country they call home.

Birthright citizenship ban: A policy that misses the mark

The administration justifies the order by claiming birthright citizenship has been exploited as a loophole by undocumented immigrants. But critics argue this reasoning falls apart when applied to legally residing skilled workers—many of whom are the very backbone of America’s economic growth.
Indian professionals, in particular, make up a large share of the US skilled workforce, contributing to top technology firms and financial institutions. With green card backlogs stretching decades, revoking birthright citizenship only deepens their uncertainty. For a country that has long prided itself on attracting global talent, this policy doesn’t just shut doors—it signals that the American Dream may no longer be worth the wait.