Tough Times Ahead For Indian Immigrants

Four US Senators have urged President Trump to suspend all nonimmigrant work permits for at least a year or till employment levels return to normal.

They have also asked for the suspension of the OPT program that lets foreign students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) work in the US for up to 3-years after graduating.

“These suspensions are critical to protecting American workers as our economy gets back on its feet,” Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Charles E Grassly, Josh Hawley, and Tom Cotton wrote in a letter to Trump on Thursday.

However, the Senators want rules to be eased to allow more doctors and nurses to come in to bridge a shortage of health professionals in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

33 million US people have filed for unemployment benefits in the last 7-weeks.

Donald Trump, who took office on an anti-immigration plank, is seeking a second term in elections scheduled in November. The senators have also asked Trump to suspend all new guest-worker visas for 60 days and further suspend certain visa categories till unemployment reaches normal levels.

The letter argues that there is no reason to let in close to a million guest workers into the US each year when local unemployment rates are so high.

If Donald Trump accepts the proposal, Indian IT workers would be the hardest hit as Indian nationals account for two-thirds of the H-1B visas issued each year.