Number of Indians who are on H-1B visas gathered outside White house demands elimination of huge backlog in Green card and also the protection for ‘DALCA’ children.
The rally was organized by the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC) that seeks to povide a voice for the Hindu American Community.
One of the major demands of the group was the Green Card backlog be cleared with a period of 1- 5years. At present the wait time can run into decades for employment based Green Cards for Indians.
The group is also pushing for Legal Childhood Arrivals (LCAs) to receive any benefits that individuals brought illegally to the U.S. as minors might receive.
By this program nearly 700,000 such individuals have been protected. A program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
However, the Trump administration has sought to end this program, and the issue is currently in court.
“Age 21 is a fear factor for H1B parents whose kids are on a H4,” said Jyotsna Sharma, a tech worker and TV host and one of those leading the rally on Sunday.
H1B visa holders, whose children and spouses get H4-dependent visas, are asking that H4 children be given Green Cards straight away, so that they can remain in the U.S. after they turn 21 without having to switch to another visa category, such as a student visa or an H1B visa or having to self-deport.
“Their future should not be held at stake, they are the future citizens of the world , they have done everything right,” she added.
“What we are suggesting to them [lawmakers and the Trump administration] is to include DALCA in DACA. We have nothing against DACA, that’s fine, but just because you came here legally you should not be prohibited from DACA benefits,” Shalabh Kumar, founder of RHC and one of the main donor to Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, said.
“These are some of the brightest kids, they should not be thrown out of the country when they become 21,” Mr. Kumar said.
“Being on an H4 means, if I cannot obtain a Green Card by the time I turn 21, I will be kicked out of the country…In addition to being separated from my family, I will be made to feel like an outcast or a misfit, in a country that I grew up in for my whole life [sic],” Akshita, a high-school student, told the assembled crowd over a megaphone.
The third demand of those rallying was to get rid of the country caps for Green Card allotments. Presently no country may be allocated more than 7% of the total number of Green Cards granted in every year.
Last week, Democratic Senator Kamala Harris and Republican Senator Mike Lee introduced the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 which will remove country caps for employment-based Green Cards and increase the caps from 7 percent to 15 percent for family-based Green Cards.
A identical bill has been introduced by Zoe Lofgren, a Representative from California in the House of Representatives.
-Sai Kumar
