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The situation has led many Indian immigrants to question whether the U.S. can truly be considered a land of opportunity
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For those caught in this bureaucratic quagmire, the American dream remains out of reach
Indian immigrants are facing an unprecedented challenge in their journey to American citizenship. Despite the United States’ long-standing image as a land of opportunity, the current system has left over 1.2 million Indian migrants stuck in the green card backlog, with little hope of obtaining permanent residency soon, according to a report in theharvardpoliticalreview.com.
Historically, the U.S. has placed hurdles in the way of non-European immigrant populations. From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the Immigration Act of 1924, immigration from Asia has been restricted, making it difficult for these communities to assimilate and thrive. While those policies were repealed in the 1960s, the roadblocks remain for Indian migrants today, though in different forms.
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The U.S. immigration system is tasked with processing green card applications to provide a legal pathway to permanent residency
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However, the current system is failing Indian migrants, with projections from the Congressional Research Service indicating that the backlog could swell to over two million by 2030
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Worse yet, clearing the existing backlog could take up to 195 years, meaning many Indians might never achieve their dream of American citizenship
A significant factor driving the issue is the explosive growth of the Indian population in the U.S., which has surged 13-fold since 1980. There are now close to four million Indian-origin residents in the country, making them the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans. Many Indian immigrants, particularly in fields like IT, medicine, and engineering, are drawn to the U.S. by promises of career advancement and a better life. However, for many, the path to citizenship has become an endless waiting game.
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