In response to the White House proclamation on changes to the H-1B visa program, announced on Friday, the Hindu American Foundation issues the following statement:
Recently announced changes to the H-1B visa program are causing confusion and fear in the Hindu and Indian American communities. Beyond potential future effects for workers of Indian origin coming to the United States — the curbing of which is clearly the intent as ascertained through statements made by President Trump and Administration officials — the needlessly vague wording of the proclamation as well as the unilateral and immediate effect of it are of particular and serious concern.
The White House must issue a clear, concise, and definitive clarification on the following points:
- Can holders of valid H-1B visas enter and leave the US at will for the duration of their visa, as has been the case prior to the proclamation;
- Does the $100,000 fee apply for only new visa applications, or does it apply for renewal applications as well?
The lack of clarity surrounding the proclamation has triggered widespread panic, especially among individual H-1B visa holders currently outside the United States who are now urgently rushing to return before its effects ostensibly take hold at midnight tonight.
Long term, the proclamation will likely create a burgeoning crisis, as countless H-1B visa holders face the prospect of sudden and prolonged separation from their loved ones — children unable to reunite with parents, spouses stranded on opposite sides of the world, and vulnerable individuals facing indefinite uncertainty. Compounding the risk of families being torn apart, is the threat of being suddenly forced to abandon careers, homes, and communities they have become an integral part of, erasing years of personal sacrifice and collective advancement H-1B visa holders have helped achieve for the United States of America.
Given the potential for widespread humanitarian impact, the Foundation further urged swift application of government checks and balances to ensure the rights and freedoms of immigrant communities are safeguarded and upheld.
From HAF’s Executive Director, Suhag Shukla:
“We’re horrified by the sharp and reckless surge in rhetoric demonizing Hindus and the Indian American community, which has only intensified in the wake of President Trump’s proclamation on the H-1B program. For generations, immigrants from India have given their hearts to this country, nurturing their families here, enriching American life, and becoming threads in the fabric of the nation, all while embracing their unique heritage. To see a community that has contributed so deeply now face public scapegoating and vilification is not only wrong, it is heartbreaking and un-American. There is simply no place for this kind of bigotry in the America we all call home; the America that was built on the ideal of unity in diversity that defines this nation.”
