The cat was out of the bag. Before agents from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) banged on the apartment door of Ranjani Srinivasan in early March, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist, had been arrested from the Columbia University campus for supporting terrorist group Hamas. Ranjani’s visa had been revoked on March 5, 2025 by the Department of State for “advocating for violence and terrorism”. Having heard forceful thumping on the door, she saw through the keyhole, three federal immigration agents waiting outside. She didn’t let them in. When the agents turned up again for the second day in a row, she did not wish to endure the humiliation of arrest, confinement and deportation to India in chains. She told the New York Times she hadn’t participated in the protests.
She left her cat behind and flew to Canada using the new CBP Home App. Ranjani is one of the first aliens who accessed the new self-deportation feature on the App, which does not require the user to go through the formal deportation process. With ‘Operation Aurora’ Donald Trump is making good on his promise to deport anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terror activists who support Palestinian anti-Israel terror groups, illegal immigrants and gang members. However, Indian American business analyst, Manik Aggarwal says much of Trump’s diktats are, “to divert attention, as America needs Indian skilled, legal workers who follow due process and protocols.”
Manik may be right but it is no longer safe for all foreigners to live in the US. The fear that their visas, green card and even citizenship could be revoked on the flimsiest of excuses has made many of them nervous. IT CEO, Anand K, who has lived and worked in America, for two decades says, “For the President, America is a business, and he, Elon Musk and others are now getting together to get it back on track. In this regard, tariffs imposed on India, and other countries, scrutiny of who gets to be in America, and giving naturalised Americans their rights is their aim. He is simply addressing his constituency, and pleasing hardliners.”
WHO ARE BEING DEPORTED?
More than 16.7 million people are estimated to have at least one family member who is an illegal immigrant. The deportation drive risks the safety of 5.9 million US child citizens if their undocumented family members are removed. This includes people who have been living in the States unlawfully for 20 or 30 years and have spouses or children who are US citizens. Immigrants who entered the country on a humanitarian parole programme which Biden had approved are on the chopping block. On the exit list could also be ‘DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) kids; individuals who arrived in America as children. Called “DREAMers,” they must be physically present in the US on, or before June 15, 2012, or had entered the country as children at least five years earlier to be eligible for staying on.
YIELDING RESULTS
The first law President Trump signed on his second term with bipartisan approval was the Laken Riley Act. It expands Homeland Security’s power to arrest any alien, or people lacking the necessary documentation to stay in the US. People accused, arrested, convicted or admitted to having committed burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting will go. The Trump administration revoked legal protections for approximately 5,30,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, leading to mass deportations starting April 24, 2025. But ICE data says Barack Obama deported more immigrants on an annual average (3,85,000) than Trump (2,99,000). The highest one-year total of deportation happened under Obama (4,32,228 in 2013) which earned him the nickname ‘Deporter-in-Chief’. On his first day in office, Trump ordered 10,000 troops to the US-Mexico border to stop border crossings—single-day border arrests hit a 15-year low on February 22, with just 200 trying to cut across the 2,000-plus mile long border with Mexico as compared 2,869 average daily crossings last year. Trump’s final target is to expel 1 million aliens. “A visa alone does not guarantee protection from deportation. The situation is dire for foreign students and workers. Very little security can be guaranteed to individuals holding visas if they cannot trust that their fundamental rights of free speech, right to protest and right to assembly are safe. Removing visa protections puts students and workers in a very unstable position,” observes Professor Supriya Baily, Professor, College of Education and Human Development, co-director, Centre for International Education, George Mason University.
WHOSE RESIDENCY STATUS IS IN DANGER?
While stumping for his second presidency, Trump had promised to end “birthright citizenship”. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution establishes the principle of birthright citizenship: “All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” Many of Trump’s anti-immigration orders have been blocked by courts; the escalating confrontation between the executive and judiciary will have far reaching consequences for American economy and society. However, Trump did deport 37,660 aliens during his first month in office, a number less than the monthly average of 57,000 expulsions in Biden’s last year in office. Having a valid green card does not guarantee protection from deportation: the only safeguard is to get citizenship or spending three years in the US after marrying an American citizen. The elderly with valid green cards may also face expulsion. Often, Customs and Border Protection officers at airports are forcing older green card holders to sign Form I-407 to voluntarily surrender their permanent residency in the US where they have been living with their adult children. Those who do not sign are often threatened with detention or deportation. Officials are treating extended stays outside the US as ‘reduced intention’ to live in the US permanently. “President Trump is great for the US, even as he troubles the rest of the world to toe his line, and work within the tone and tenor of America’s needs and wants. What is good for the US might not be as good for India, Europe or another country. India in particular is worried about issues related to tariffs, visas, green cards. As Trump settles down in his presidency, some of these will convert into action, and push the rest of the world to adjust to the way the US wants to do business,” says Harish Bijoor, business and brand strategy expert.
GREEN CARDS ARE NO LONGER A GUARANTEE OF SAFETY
There are about 12.8 million green card holders living in the United States, according to the latest Office of Homeland Security numbers. Before an immigrant gets citizenship in the US, the Green Card assures a stay of up to 10 years. Mahmoud Khalil, arrested for the terror activity of leading pro-Hamas student protest movements demanding a ceasefire in Gaza holds a green card and is married to a Palestinian-origin Indian-American entrepreneur who was naturalised over three decades ago, says, “Polarisation has led to a campus climate where certain viewpoints are marginalised or silenced. There is cancel culture and self-censorship among students and faculty who fear professional or social repercussions. The anxiety among students is palpable, and there is mistrust of institutions. This is a departure from traditional American values of robust public discourse.”
Marina Sinden, a green card holder, married to an American was planning to visit her family in Canada. She told the CNN “I’m really concerned about making the crossing back into the United States… I have an entire world here to lose if I’m not allowed to re-enter,” Sinden said. Attorneys advise green card holders not to sign documents at the airport they don’t understand; especially Form I-407 for giving up permanent resident status. Many visa holders have been asked to delay their US travels, because new bans are being issued. After wearing keffiyehs and masks in support of Hamas terrorism, many pro-terror agitationists with green cards are worried about being packed off. The grounds on which green card holders are denied re-entry into the US are: staying away for an extended period of time from the US, and criminal convictions, even for old or minor offences. Indians were the second-largest community with US citizenship or green cards in 2024; 49,700 of them were naturalised, making desis 6.1 per cent of new citizens. If a green card holder is absent from the US for more than six months, it could lead to the question whether the card holder has abandoned their residency. Stay away for more than a year, the government will consider you have abandoned your green card unless an application for a re-entry permit has been filed before leaving. Anyone who wishes to be a naturalised American citizen must have first lived for 5 consecutive years in the country. “It is advisable for green card holders to apply for citizenship especially if they have plans of prolonged travel outside the US,” warns immigration attorney Parnashree Chakraborty. The green card has a 180-day rule, which allows you to stay outside the US for up to 180 days without penalty. You can return after staying away for 181 to 365 days, but will then have to wait longer to get citizenship. Among green-card holders with long term travel plans, there is definitely the risk of residency status being revoked,” confirms Chakraborty.
A green card holder may lose his card in the face of “substantiated charges of immigration fraud in the immigration process”, or has provided enough reason to believe they are engaging in terrorism or backing terrorist organisation like Hamas or Hezbollah as seen in recent developments. “Stricter regulations like changes in the time frame for waivers, more in-person interviews have resulted in increased delays to get an appointment. Green card holders with prolonged foreign stays are facing rigorous background checks. For non-immigrant workers, it is advised to file for an extension well in advance. It is important for them to consult their employer regarding potential delays and plan alternative work arrangements,” adds Chakraborty.
F-1 VISA REDESIGNED
Indian techie Parag Murthy whose H1-B visa expires in a week will not be flying out until he renews it. Murthy lives in San Francisco and is an IT major. For many Indian students who finished their studies in the US and are looking for a job, there is no light at the end of the immigration tunnel. “Applicants are scared of the newly increased waiting period, especially those who don’t have flexible work arrangements,” confirms Chakraborty. The F-1 visa is for students who come to the US to study in American universities. Their minimum bank balance must cover at least one academic year’s tuition and living expenses: 30-50 lakhs ($35,000-$60,000). Only acceptance by an approved American school makes a student eligible for the F-1 visa. They are prohibited from working legally off campus without special permission. Students with F-1 who had to leave the US because of a personal emergency must return after 5 months or less. F-1 visa holders must leave the US within 60 days after the programme end date listed on Form I-20 has ended.
Indian citizens receive more L-1 visas than nationals of any other country, according to the US State Department’s website. The conversion from the student visa to a H-1B Visa will become more difficult under the new system. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimates that the backlog for Indians in employment-based categories will reach 2.19 million by 2030. For 2026, USCIS will be using random selection to curb the gaming of the system. The shift to a beneficiary-centric approach has already cut registration numbers significantly. In FY 2025, US Citizenship and Immigration Consular (USCIS) received 4,70,342 eligible registrations, down by 38.6 per cent compared to FY 2024’s 7,58,994. Foreign professionals eager to work in the US until March 24, 2025 are required to apply for H-1B visas.
VISA SQUEEZE HAS BEGUN
The new administration is vigorously screening and tightening approval of H-1B visas. This non-immigrant visa allows foreign workers to stay in the US for three years, which can be extended to a maximum of six years. Once the approved timespan is over, the visa holder must either leave the country or reapply. The annual number of H-1B visas is capped at 65,000, plus 20,000 extra visas for people with a master’s degree or higher from a US institution. Trump has come down heavily on the lottery system for H-1B visas since it is luck not merit that guarantees a visa. The specialisation qualification for jobs has shifted, forcing employers to establish a direct co-relation between the position offered and the candidate’s certified expertise. For example, if a company appoints a doctor who specialises in cardiology in a oncologist’s position, it must explain their logical connection. Visa interviews are more rigorous now. Only applicants renewing the same category of visa that expired within the previous year are eligible for the Dropbox facility. F-1 visa holders must wait for a regular interview slot to get an H-1B visa. Similarly H-1B visa holders with visas that expired more than a year ago must wait for an interview. All these changes are leading to longer waiting time for visa appointments: 4-6 months. Applicants for 221(G) visas may encounter months-long delays with no guaranteed completion timeline. Even if the USCIS has approved a visa, a consular officer can now return the petition for a relook. On 24 March, USCIS closed the initial registration for the H-1B visa cap for 2026. On March 19, H-1B visa holders and employers have been ordered to download their immigration records within the day. From midnight on March 20, all case records older than five years will be erased from the system. This action will seriously impact many visa and labour certifications. These include permanent H-2A, H-2B, CW-1 visas and H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visas.
Meanwhile, Madhukar Yarra, C.E.O, NextWealth Entrepreneurs says, “A strong immigration regime is better for India as legal immigration can get streamlined and more efficient. The resulting wage growth will have positive second order effects for services and GCCs.”
CRACKDOWN ON CRIME
Crime fighting is Trump’s main stated agenda. On deportation row is Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University who is an expert in conflict resolution. The US government has accused him of ties to Hamas, spreading terror propaganda and hate speech on college campus. Incidentally his wife is a naturalised Palestinian. “The courts are currently upholding laws, but this is not something that we can depend on completely. The pushback against many of the rights we have taken for granted are now at risk,” says Professor Supriya Baily of George Mason University. The India-born Suri has been travelling in Pakistan, Balochistan, Iran, Turkey, Kurdish Areas in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine ‘on work.’ For now, the deportation has been blocked by a federal judge.
On January 20, his first day in office, Trump’s executive order directed federal agencies to jointly fight “an invasion” of illegal immigrants. An estimated 11 million immigrants are behind rising crime, gang violence and drug trafficking according to agencies. Unlike Rishi Sunak’s botched plan to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda, Trump is walking his talk. He has sent hundreds of gang members to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot mega-prison. Venezuela’s notorious gang Tren de Aragua, which has maimed and massacred thousands of people across South America is at the receiving end of Trump’s wrath: of the 238 new inmates, 215 are Tren de Aragua and 23 are in the MS-13 gang. Trump is a fan of El Salvador’s 43 year old president Nayib Bukele, who calls himself the world’s “coolest dictator.” In a country excoriated with drug gang wars, death squads and human trafficking rackets, Bukele declared a state of emergency in March 2022 which resulted in the arrest and incarceration of more than 84,000 people including members of El Salvador’s Mara Salvatrucha gan aka MS-13, and its rival, Barrio 18.
THE BLACKLIST GAME IS ON
In 2017, Trump tried to introduce a ‘Muslim ban’ which was rolled back after global criticism. This time, having bagged nearly half the popular vote, Trump is pushing his MAGA agenda to the limit. He has no challengers since the Republicans control both Congress and the Senate. The US government has issued a Red, Orange and Yellow list that comprises 41 countries whose citizens are banned from entering the US. Citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea cannot enter America. In the Orange List, people from Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan face harsh visa restrictions. In the third group, 26 countries, including Pakistan, Bhutan and Myanmar face partial visa suspension if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”. In October last year, Trump had pledged to stop people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security” from getting US visas. He also put on hold the US refugee resettlement programme for 120 days; upon renewal of its activities, he will reduce the maximum number of refugees from 1,10,000 to 50,000.
The global refugee’s greatest fear is of being turned back to the country where he fled from poverty, pogroms and corruption. The irony is criminals and terrorists misuse immigration and protection laws of liberal Western countries to gain a foothold by masquerading as fugitives. Europe is a prime example, where right wing parties are raising the anti-alien pitch, especially against Muslims. Trump’s bold moves are bound to find an echo chamber in the rising might of European right wing parties although the EU is on a collision course against the president, who is seen as expansionist Putin’s ally. Trump’s brutal anti-immigration measures are causing untold human misery for innocents. That is also the tragic price for democracy. And for bigotry, too.
*Some names have been changed on request.