The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program – an Obama-era initiative providing relief from deportation to more than 800,000 undocumented young people, now under consideration by President Donald Trump, has left the future of nearly 7,000 children of Indian origin in the United states in uncertainty.
Nearly 800,000 people who got a reprieve under an executive order by President Obama and on way to be legal residents, could face deportation if President Donald Trump pulls the plug on a program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. His decision could come as early as this week. It could also strip them of their work permits and rescind in-state tuition for undocumented college students. The program also allowed its recipients to obtain social security numbers.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services latest statistics – collected until March 31 – an estimated 7,028 undocumented Indian American students are DACA recipients, many who arrived as young children with their parents and have never been able to return to the land of their birth. India ranks 11 amongst the top countries of origin for DACA students; 7,881 have applied for the program. More than 17,000 are eligible, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. Pakistan ranks 22nd in countries of origin for DACA recipients: USCIS reports that 3,476 applications have been accepted to date.
The DACA program officially started on June 15, 2012, when the Obama administration announced that certain illegal immigrants who came to the US as children and met some guidelines – including being in school, or high school graduates, had served or were serving the military, had no criminal record, had a record of paying taxes and were not welfare recipients – may request consideration for a work permit, to be renewed every two years.
These individuals had to be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012, and had to show they had come to the US before reaching 16th birthday. It allowed these immigrants to study and work without fear of being deported.
DACA’s future has been murky ever since Trump took office. As a candidate, he vowed to slash it, but he hinted at a softer stance once he made it to the White House, pledging to handle the situation “with heart.” Now the President is said to be weighing his options on DACA as a potential court fight looms.
Last December, Trump told Time magazine in an interview that he would “work something out” for DACA beneficiaries. “They got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.”
In February, Trump said the DACA executive order was one of the most difficult issues he has had to grapple with. “You have some absolutely incredible kids, I would say mostly,” hedging his remarks by noting that some were drug dealers and gang members.
But the president is under deadline to repeal Obama’s executive order: a June 29 letter sent by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatens to sue the administration if DACA is not repealed by Sept. 5. The attorney generals of eight other states – Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia – and Gov. Butch Otter of Idaho were co-signatories to the letter.
The national coalition has petitioned Trump to rethink his plans to scrap the program. Doing so would imperil the economy and jeopardize the futures of nearly 800,000 young people — 97 percent of whom are in school or in the workforce, they wrote.
“Dreamers are vital to the future of our companies and our economy,” the executives wrote. “With them, we grow and create jobs. They are part of why we will continue to have a global competitive advantage.”
They have already submitted to extensive background checks. They pay income taxes. Without them, the economy would lose $460.3 billion from the national GDP and $24.6 billion in Social Security and Medicare tax contributions, the letter said. A study issued in January by the CATO Institute – a libertarian think tank – estimated that deporting all 800,000 DACA recipients – also known as DREAMERs – would cost the federal government $60 billion, and reduce economic growth by $280 billion over the next 10 years.
The letter, organized by Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s FWD.us and signed by leaders of nearly 400 other companies, also urged Congress to pass legislation that would provide a permanent fix for the young undocumented immigrants.
Among the signatories are business magnate Warren Buffett, fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg, Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, and Meg Whitman of Hewlett-Packard. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella wrote in a LinkedIn post that “smart immigration can help our economic growth and global competitiveness” in addition to creating more jobs for Americans.
“As I shared at the White House in June, I am a product of two uniquely American attributes: the ingenuity of American technology reaching me where I was growing up, fueling my dreams, and the enlightened immigration policy that allowed me to pursue my dreams,” he wrote. “As a CEO, I see each day the direct contributions that talented employees from around the world bring to our company, our customers and to the broader economy. We care deeply about the DREAMers who work at Microsoft and fully support them.”
Nadella added: “This is the America that I know and of which I am a proud citizen. This is the America that I love and that my family and I call home. And this is the America that I will always advocate for.”
NBC reported that many advocacy groups have pressed Trump to ignore the “arbitrary” deadline set by 10 attorneys general around the US to end DACA. Immigrant rights groups are on the offensive, holding rallies and pressuring Congress to stand up for the program and pass a more permanent solution. Meanwhile, Dreamers across the United States are bracing themselves for the possibility of losing driver’s licenses, jobs or funding for their educations — and eventually facing deportation to countries many of them barely remember.
Two days before Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven countries and halting refugee resettlement, which is currently suspended by the courts, the Trump administration issued another order that has caused widespread alarm among undocumented immigrants. The January 25 order greatly expands the definition of who is considered a criminal and therefore a target for deportation. It prioritizes removal of undocumented immigrants who have “committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense,” regardless of whether they’ve been charged or convicted of a crime.
Even if Trump does not end the DACA program, hundreds of DACA beneficiaries could be subject to deportation under the expanded definition, said attorney Leon Fresco, who headed the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration under President Obama. At particular risk are DACA recipients with outstanding orders of removal from the country. Any run-in with the law they might have had, however minor, could endanger their reprieve from deportation under DACA. “There is a 100 percent guarantee that some will have their DACA status revoked and they’ll be deported,” Fresco said. “It could happen any moment.”
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Addressing the AAPI members from around the nation, media leaders and representatives from the tri state region at the Consulate, Dr. Samadder, who had assumed office in June this years as the President of the largest ethnic association of the medical fraternity, highlighted the importance and the major role played by the physicians of Indian origin. “AAPI physicians represent only 10% of all physicians in the United States but service approximately 30% of the US patient population,” Dr. Samadder said. “Many have fostered personal relationships with members of Congress (as well as the highest levels of Government in India) that are invaluable assets to influencing legislation and insuring appropriate, patient-focused healthcare reform. Our business partners can be assured of a receptive audience and, once engaged, a loyal client and ambassador of the product and company,” he added.
In his key note address, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty said, “You have excelled in your fields of medicine, and thus make significant contributions through hard work, commitment and dedication to your profession and the people you are committed to serve.” While conveying his greetings and best wishes to AAPI leaders for the success of the convention and Global Healthcare Summit, Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty described the fast-growing health sector, particularly the pharmaceutic industry in India. Ambassador Chakravorty lauded the efforts of AAPI, particularly for the free clinics across India, and the new clinic planned to be inaugurated in the state of West Bengal.
Within the few weeks since assuming office, the executive team led by Dr. Samadder has taken many initiatives, Dr. Samadder provided an overview of the programs AAPI plans to undertake in the coming months. Pointing to some of the new initiatives, Dr. Samadder referred to the Clinical Fellowship in Allergy and Immunology; Healthy Heart program; International Research competition; and, a new free clinic by the AAPI Charitable Foundation in the state of West Bengal.
Congressman Jim Himes, who represents Connecticut’s 4th District in the United States House of Representatives, said he was delighted to be at the event to honor the accomplishments of so many talented individuals. Congressman Jim Himes, in his felicitations, “This is the largest ever dinner you I have ever attended of GOPIO. We are experiencing one of the backsliding moments in the history of the where the core strength of this nation, the immigrants, are being threatened. There is no bigger rebuttal than the people in this room. You are scientists, educators, engineers, entreprenros, community activists, philanthropists, who represent the success and contributions of immigrants to the country”
Ila Paliwal was honored for her contributions in the field of Performing Arts. A classically trained Indian vocalist, songwriter and producer based in New York, Paliwal released her album NAVARATNA in 2015 at the Carnegie Hall to a sold-out audience. NAVARATNA celebrates India’s secular and festive spirit and is executive produced by legendary music composer AR Rahman. In 2015, She also released a video, HOLI celebrating the Indian ancient phrase Vasudev Kutumbakam. Through her music, Ila focuses to spread the message of Unity in Diversity. Ila along with her family supports several philanthropic organizations through their Family’s Charitable Foundation. In her acceptance speech, she said, “May this award given to me today be an inspiration to the younger generation.”
After Richa Sharma, there has been a steady migration of Indian American beauties to the film industry. For example, Ruby Bhatia, Kamal Sidhu and more recently Aarti Chabria have taken the Indian television and movie world by storm. “Most of these girls are very well educated,” points out Saran. Apra Bhandari, who won the Miss India New York title in 1998, has a degree in communications from Cornell University. “I once had a heart surgeon from Johns Hopkins University competing in my pageant,” adds Saran.
“In order for AAPI to retain our influence, we must mentor and develop the next generation of doctors in leadership,” he said. “I want to encourage medical students, residents, and fellows and all second-generation Indian American physicians to be actively involved in both local and national level efforts to building a strong association focusing on leader development and strengthening our professional relations.” According to him, “One thing is clear, if you are a team player, hardworking, and willing to serve in the best interests of the organization. There is always a leadership opportunity for you in AAPI.”
“AAPI must be responsive to its members, supportive of the leadership and a true advocate for our mission,” Dr. Gautam Samadder, president of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, said soon after taking charge of AAPI, the nation’s largest ethnic association. “I am committed to unify AAPI by breaking down the barriers of various regions, languages, medical education within the organization and bringing everyone together as a whole organization rather than separate fragments of the organization,” Dr. Samadder said.
At the BOT luncheon, physicians with distinguished achievements and community services were honored. Winners of the Research/Poster Presentation from across the nation who had presented the abstracts of their research on diverse medical topics, were honored with cash awards. While addressing the audience, Rep. Leonard Lance praised the contributions of Indian Americans and the achievements of the Indian American community and in particular that of the physicians of Indian origin in the US. While criticizing the GOP Bill being considered by the US Senate,
Expressing his gratitude to AAPI’s executive committee members, including Dr. Gautam Samadder President-Elect; Dr. Naresh Parikh, Vice President; Dr. Suresh Reddy, Secretary; Dr. Manju Sachdev, Treasurer; Dr. Madhu Agarwal, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Aditya Desai, YPS president; and Atul Nakhasi, MSRF President; Dr. Raj Bhayani, AAPI’s 2017 Convention Chair; various committee chairs and members, volunteers and sponsors for their continued dedication and visionary leadership in their efforts to make this convention truly a historic one for all, Dr. Lodha, said. “The organizing committees have been working hard to make the AAPI Convention of 2017 rewarding and memorable for all with Continuing Education Meetings, National and India based Health Policy Forums, Youth Seminars, New Physician and Resident Student meetings. Physicians attending this convention will benefit not only from cutting edge CME, but also the camaraderie of their alumni groups and share in our common heritage. Social events are all being planned meticulously so that maximum benefit can be accomplished.
Earlier, the day began with Yoga led by Baba Ramdev, the world renowned yoga guru known for his work in ayurveda, business, politics and agriculture. Later on during a packed session, the famous guru addressed the audience for over 70 minutes, leading them to learn and practice simple ways of living healthy. According to him, the source of happiness is to “enjoy whatever you do.” He told the told the physicians of the glorious past of the Indian civilization that gave birth to the most advanced forms of practicing medicine thousands of years ago, and urged them to be knowledgeable to be AYUSH.
The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s New York Chapter. Dr. Lodha expressed his gratitude to the organizers, various committee chairs and members, including Convention Chair, Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-chairs, Drs. Vinod Sanchetti, Kishen Kumar, Jayesh Kanuga, and Kusum Punjabi; Convention Advisory Committee Chair, Shashi Shah; and Drs. Hital Gor, Jagdish Gupta, and Himanshu Pandya.
