Fear of Self-Deportation Grips More Than 1 Lakh Indian Youth in the US
A new policy change in immigration has left more than 1 lakh Indian youth in the US with widespread alarm, as they are now threatened with the fear of self-deportation. These people, brought up in the US, are now confronted with the reality that they might be compelled to leave the only country they have ever called home.
The upcoming immigration policy has also left the Indian diaspora in the US with a feeling of uncertainty and fear. Many of these young people, who were previously dependent on their parents' visas, are now staring into the real possibility of having to go back to India, a place they may never have been to before.
The individuals who are suffering, being largely of age between their teens and early twenties, now scurry to seek other alternatives for remaining in the US. Some are interested in getting themselves enrolled in colleges and universities, while others pursue job opportunities that may ultimately result in a green card.
Nonetheless, the application for a green card is famously long and cumbersome, and some of these youths are concerned that they will be unable to make it through the process in time for the new immigration policy.
The Indian government has been called upon to step in and offer aid to these victims. The government's reaction, however, has been half-hearted, and now many fear they will be on their own.
The conditions are especially bad for those who have been born and raised in the US and have never had any other home. Most of these young people are now staring at the reality of being pulled out of their families, friends, and communities, and compelled to begin anew in a country they might not even be familiar with.
With the deadline for the new immigration policy fast approaching, tension and uncertainty within the Indian diaspora community in the US are palpable. Only time will tell how the situation will develop, but this much is clear – the future of more than 1 lakh Indian youth in the US is precariously hanging in the balance.