Washington: Ahead of the US Presidential Elections on November 5, immigration remains one of the most cardinal issues for the 5.2 million strong Indian-American community, the second largest immigrant group in the country.
In a special report from the US, several Indian-Americans voiced their concerns and said the traditional support Democrats enjoy among the community may not hold this time.
"What concerns the community is the illegal immigration issue because it's the tax dollars that are going and the number of people that have come is above 12 million -- which is unprecedented in American history. It bothers the community because the American Hindu community, which is mostly the Indian-American community pays about 6% of the taxes, despite being only one and a half percent of the population. They feel that their tax dollars are going towards something that doesn't benefit America," an Indian American said.
In his campaign speeches, Trump promised a radical shift to tighten Washington's immigration policy and vowed to carry out the "largest" domestic deportation operation in American history of undocumented immigrants if he is re-elected.
The Republican leader has even resolved to end birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants living in the US illegally, triggering concerns among various diaspora communities, including from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
For these reasons, some Indian-Americans believe that Kamala Harris will be a better choice for the presidency. "Right now, we have millions of people in immigration waiting for their green card for the last 10, 15 or 20 years. I feel Kamala Harris understands the pain of immigrants...On the other hand, Mr Trump may not go that deep into the immigration [issue]," Sukhchain Singh, another Indian-American Citizen said.
Many Indian-American voters also say that the waiting time for many immigrants from India to obtain Permanent Resident status, or a Green Card, is too long, and immigration laws are loaded against populous countries, including India.
"The main problem for the Indian community is related to immigration, specifically the long wait times for Green Cards. Educated individuals come here and often have to wait many years, causing hardship for families. Some people end up returning to India because of this issue. Additionally, the quota system allocates only 7% to each country, for example, Nepal and other smaller countries receive the same percentage. As India is a large country, it should get preference," Jaypee Singh, Indian American Citizen said. (PTI Video)
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