What Indian Americans think of Trump’s policies on immigration and tariffs and impact on India
Indian Americans are reacting to President Donald Trump's executive orders, particularly concerning the US visa situation and trade.
President Donald Trump’s executive orders and presidential proclamations over his first 10 days in office include actions that will impact many South Asian Americans, including attempting to eliminate birthright citizenship, changing the H-1B Visa program, and hastening deportations of undocumented immigrants (Indians are among the largest undocumented populations in the United States).
Trump’s actions from day 1 have shown that he is a President in a hurry to show his support base that he means business and is ready to flex his presidential power.
Here’s what some members of the Indian Diaspora think about Trump’s recent actions on immigration, H-1B Visas and tariffs and their impact on India.
ALSO READ | Brazil demands ‘explanation’ from Donald Trump as deported immigrants arrive in handcuffs
‘In the next 2-3 months, there will be purposeful disruptions’
Naren Bakshi, a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and now running a non-profit called Crack the Wellness Code, says that despite recent rhetoric by President Trump, America continues to be a nation of immigrants and that it needs immigrants. “Until quite recently, 95% of avenues for immigrants from India to come to the US were legal. Some came on student visas and then converted to green cards and then got their US citizenship. By and large, the US has given us tremendous opportunities to thrive without much discrimination,” opines Bakshi
“We have been allowed to build temples, gurdwaras, buy real estate and slowly we have broken all glass ceilings-even political ones.”
He adds that what has also happened in parallel is a surge in illegal immigrants from India. He clarifies about the two different kinds. “First category is those who came as tourists legally on tourist visas to the US and then never returned back to India. The second are those that crept in through Mexico and Canada,” says Bakshi.
He feels that the Indian Government understands this. “The Modi Government has said that we will take our illegal immigrants back. That is the right thing to do.”
Bakshi opines that H1B Visas will be needed and the tech and healthcare sectors in the US will fight for them. “It will take some time for the US to figure out the right numbers. Companies like Infosys and others have readjusted.”
He also feels that once the dust settles down, it should not be difficult for Indians to return back to the US. “Right now there is a lot of confusion,” says the veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
On the issues of tariffs, Bakshi feels the move from globalization to nationalization is a global phenomenon. “Rebalancing is going to happen. We have to be fair. The US is importing much more than it exports. The US has deficits against most major countries including India.”
He feels that certain industries will face greater headwinds than others. “Industries where import duty tariffs are 50%-75%, are too visible and will need to be cut back.”
Bakshi elaborates that India understands that there is chaos right now. “The Trump Administration is trying to implement things too fast. They are in a hurry and feel that they have to demonstrate very quickly, and when things are done too fast-there are disruptions. In the next 2-3 months, there will be purposeful disruptions.”
ALSO READ | US C-17 military aircraft carrying illegal Indian migrants lands in Amritsar amid Trump's immigration crackdown
‘Tariffs will be a complex issue to resolve’
Sanjeev Jospipura, Washington DC based Executive Director at Indiaspora feels that the Indian government is going along with President Trump’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants.
“If the United States conducts its deportation processes in accordance with the laws and treats the deportees with dignity, it appears that this might not be a contentious issue between the two countries,” says Joshipura.
He also adds that tariffs on trade and in which country manufacturing occurs, will be more complex issues to resolve, and will require diplomatic statecraft, calm heads and delicate negotiations between India and USA.
“But I am optimistic that these matters too can be resolved, After all, as the new Trump administration has emphasized, both nations share a strong interest in further strengthening bilateral ties across a wide swath of areas, and the relationship is mature enough that disagreements in a few areas won’t jeopardize the comprehensive friendship,” opines Joshipura.
‘US is no longer a first choice for a lot of bright people in India’
“What has happened in the last week and a half has been both aggressive and intense,” says Ashish Goyal, a technology professional working at a global outsourcing company headquartered in Los Angeles, California about Trump’s first two weeks as the USA's new president.
“I don’t see the H1B program changing a lot under President Trump. We saw at least 4-5 tech CEOs with him on stage and all of them are big beneficiaries of the H1B Visa Program. Elon Musk has come out publicly in his support for the H1B Program and even against Trump’s MAGA base,” says Goyal.
He feels that some changes in the H1B Visa program like better salaries and easier job portability will be good for the visa holders, who can expect to be treated fairly. Goyal adds that the conversion from the student visa to a H1B Visa will become more difficult.
ALSO READ | Donald Trump excludes India in new tariffs, imposes on China, Mexico and Canada
“Unlike the 1990’s, now the US is no longer a dream destination. The US isn't a first choice for a lot of bright people in India because there is so much more opportunity in India. Top-talent is not very excited to come to the US and even if they come for higher studies or to work for a couple of years, they are not looking for a path to permanent residency,”says Goyal.
On the issue of tariffs, Goyal feels that Trump will need to deliver his promises on tariffs that he has talked about during his election campaigns.
“It will be very difficult for Trump to backtrack on tariffs. Tariffs will be used for negotiation for better deals and for selling more US goods to other nations,” says Goyal.
He adds that better balance of trade conversations are in the offing when Prime Minister Modi visits the US in February. “India is very important for the US from the geopolitical standpoint to contain China. It will not push India too far on tariffs,” thinks Goyal.
‘Those valued by American Companies stand a better chance’
“Technology companies in the US have Research and Development centers in India or are rapidly establishing them. They employ local talent at local competitive pay scales. Plus the tech sector is used to competition and is resilient enough to re-adjust, when necessary. I am not worried,” says Vinita Gupta about President Trump’s executive orders on immigration impacting the high tech sector in the US and India.
Gupta is the first woman of Indian origin to take her company public in the US. She co-founded Digital Link Corporation and was the CEO from inception to retirement for almost 20 years.
“President Trump's close confidants have also expressed support for US college-degreed immigrants to be offered an easy path towards permanent residency in the US, contributing to US innovation. This will be great for India and the Indian education system that produces such talent,” says Gupta.
She further elaborates that under the stated goal of the revamp of the H1B Visa, the highest paid H1B visa applicants are supposed to be selected instead of the current lottery system. “I hope those valued by American companies stand a better chance. The caveat is implementation of these orders,” says Gupta.
She feels that India has to take back Indian passport holders who entered the US illegally.
Sameer Khedekar, Founder and Managing Attorney of Vanguard Visa Law Firm feels that President Trump’s "Extreme Vetting" executive order directs all agencies to ensure everyone applying for a visa or traveling into the US are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. “This will likely cause a serious increase in visa background checks, delays, and denials for visa applicants from all countries. When reviewing files to this degree, government agencies cast a wide net, entangling many people who are not supposed to be the subject of this extreme vetting in the first place,” says Khedekar.
ALSO READ | New tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on Canada, Mexico and China — What's next
On the H-1B Visa program, while President Trump has not yet issued any direct changes, the Biden administration passed a final rule just before leaving office. “This rule safeguards key aspects of the H-1B program, modernizing it to better align with the needs of 21st-century immigrants, like allowing sole founders to sponsor their own H-1B Visa. The rule also increases compliance efforts, mandating site visits for all H-1B companies to ensure there is no fraud taking place,” says Khedekar.
On the issue of tariffs, Khedekar opines that for now it does not appear that Trump's tariff policies will impact US relations with India. “India has agreed to take back 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants from the US to preserve their economic relations, and this step appears to have kept Trump from penalizing India through added visa restrictions,” tells Khedekar.
Recommended Topics