7,000 Indians Living In US To Be Hit After Trump Scraps Amnesty Programme
Washington: US President Donald Trump has scrapped an Obama-era amnesty programme that granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, a move likely to impact 800,000 undocumented workers including more than 7,000 Indian-Americans. "I am here today to announce that the programme known as DACA (Deferred Action for Children Arrival) that was effectuated under the Obama Administration is being rescinded," US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. India ranks 11th among countries of origin for DACA students, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services statistics available till March 31, 2017.
The announcement, which was anticipated for the past few days, was greeted with protests from across the country. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House demonstrating against Trump.
"The Department of Justice has advised the President and the Department of Homeland Security that DHS should begin an orderly, lawful wind down, including the cancellation of the memo that authorised this programme," Sessions told reporters.
Defending the move, he said that to have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, one cannot admit everyone who would like to come here.
"That is an open border policy and the American people have rightly rejected it. Therefore, the nation must set and enforce a limit on how many immigrants we admit each year and that means all cannot be accepted," he said.
He said ending the previous administration's "disrespect for the legislative process" is an important first step. All immigration policies should serve the interests of the people of the US-lawful immigrant and native born alike, he asserted.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said now that DACA has been rescinded, there is more to do, and the president has called on Congress to act.
Los Angels Mayor Eric Garcetti said the decision is a "giant setback" for America.
"President Trump's action on DACA is cruel - it threatens to tear families apart, puts our economy at risk, and will do nothing to unify America or make us more secure," he said.
In a statement, he urged Congress to act as quickly as possible to pass legislation to protect the beneficiaries of DACA.
"Today is a cruel day for Dreamers, our families, and all Americans. President Trump's decision to end DACA is a manufactured crisis in response to an artificial deadline from anti-immigrant leaders," said Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union.
