Waves of anxiety are hitting the immigrant community in the US, especially Indians, hard ever since Vice President JD Vance proclaimed, “A green card does not give an individual an indefinite right to stay in the United States.” US President Donald Trump’s stiffer-than-ever immigration policies haven’t left any room to breathe, either. Amid the POTUS’ ongoing crackdown in this arena, he signed an executive order on Tuesday.
About Donald Trump’s executive order
It seems that the US president want Americans to vote like Indians do. Calling for fair elections, Donald Trump cited India’s voter ID system while announcing changes on how elections will be conducted across the US. These new changes would require proof of US citizenship to vote in federal elections. “India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship,” the order states.
“Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election,” Trump highlighted in the executive order.
Green card applications on hold?
Just hours before the president signed the new executive order, a US Department of Homeland Security official told Newsweek that the Trump administration has paused some green card applications, which could impact thousands, including Indian applicants. “This sweeping and indefinite stop on green card processing is yet another attempt for this administration to baselessly paint all immigrants as a national security risk,” National Immigrant Justice Center Director of Policy Azadeh Erfani told the news outlet.
With green card applications now temporarily halted, applicants have been hit with another snag in the already lengthy process of attaining permanent residency. It only adds to the problems weighing down on non-citizens who also face the fears of potential mass deportation per Trump’s promise.
Some now even worry that individuals without any criminal records might also bear the brunt of Trump’s vow. Those who will potentially be affected by the green card applications pause include Indian immigrants. As of 2023, over 2.9 million Indian immigrants called the US their home, according to migrationpolicy.org.
Why were the green card applications paused?
The Department of Homeland Security attributed the delayed action to two executive orders Trump signed: “Protecting The United States From Foreign Terrorists And Other National Security And Public Safety Threats” and “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”
“To better identify fraud, public safety or national security concerns, USCIS is placing a temporary pause on finalizing certain Adjustment of Status applications pending the completion of additional screening and vetting,” said a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
Meanwhile, National Immigrant Justice Center Director of Policy Azadeh Erfani criticised the development in a statement, “There is no justification for this action, other than discriminatory animus against people who seek refuge. USCIS already conducts extensive vetting of all individuals who apply for permanent resident status. Already, our clients wait over a year for USCIS to process their applications. This stop in processing will unfairly block people who have full eligibility to gain permanent status in the United States.”
Per Newsweek’s report, at least 67,800 green card applications were filed between October 2023 and September 2024. Of these, “almost 40,000 were submitted by refugees, who can only apply after arriving at least a year earlier,” the article reads.
Green card applications paused after Trump Gold Card sought to replace EB-5 visa program
Weeks ago, Donald Trump also announced his ‘gold card’ visa program, attracting the gaze of wealthy investors. Through this new pathway to citizenship, he aims to replace the existing EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. All the Trump Gold Card asks of the financially elite is a $5 million fee.
“It’s somewhat like a green card, but at a higher level of sophistication, it’s a road to citizenship for people, and essentially people of wealth or people of great talent, where people of wealth pay for those people of talent to get in, meaning companies will pay for people to get in and to have long, long term status in the country,” the Republican president said, per AP News.
He also dismissed the EB-5 visa program as “full of nonsense, make-believe and fraud.” Meanwhile, aspirants lacking the financial means to acquire the golden ticket to permanent residency will continue facing excruciating delays and long queues for their green card. Plus, the added reported waiting period due to green card applications being paused will only test Indian applicants and others’ patience more.