Indian H1B Visa Holders Rally Outside White House Demanding Immigration Law Reforms
A group of mostly Indians on H1B visas held a rally outside the White House on Sunday afternoon, demanding immigration law reforms to benefit those in the country legally.
The rally, organized by the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC), which describes itself as an organization that seeks to provide a voice for the Hindu American community, involved some 200-300 people.
Among the demands of the group was that the Green Card backlog be cleared with a period of 1-5 years. The wait time, at present, 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 (a group often referred to as “Dreamers”) might receive. Nearly 700,000 such individuals have been protected by an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
The Trump administration has sought to end this program, and the issue is currently in court. The status of Dreamers, has, in parallel, also been part of the discussions to re-open parts of the federal government following the shutdown and to keep it open past February 15.
H1B visa holders, whose children and spouses get H4-dependent visas, are asking that H4 children be given Green Cards straight away, so 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.
