Rainnie, a 27-year-old Chinese woman in California, was desperate for her baby to arrive early after learning that US President Donald Trump’s executive order would revoke birthright citizenship for those born after February 19 – the day before her due date.
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The executive order, signed on Trump’s first day back in the White House, directs agencies to deny recognition of citizenship for children born in the US after the cut-off date if neither parent is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.
More than 20 states have filed lawsuits to challenge Trump’s order, and federal judges have blocked it from taking effect. The issue might ultimately reach the US Supreme Court. For now, the future of birthright citizenship is up in the air, and those hoping to take advantage of it are stuck in legal limbo.
Rainnie, who asked to use only her English name for privacy reasons, is one of many Chinese women who have travelled to the US specifically to give birth because of the opportunities that American citizenship presents for their children.
It is not known how many babies are born each year to parents who come to the US for “birth tourism”.
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The US Department of State has estimated the figure is in the thousands, while the Centre for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates for lower immigration numbers, has estimated it is 20,000 or more.