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Indian Americans
Over 7,000 student and exchange visitors from India overstayed in the US in 2023, an expert told US lawmakers and suggested several reforms in the country's immigration policies, including those related to H-1B visas. As many as 32 countries have student/exchange visitor overstay rates of higher than 20 per cent, Jessica M Vaughan from the Center for Immigration Studies told the US House Committee on the Judiciary during a hearing on Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America. The F and M visa categories have the highest overstay rates of any of the broad categories of temporary admission. The F-1 Visa allows a person to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training programme. The M-1 visa category includes students in vocational or other nonacademic programmes, other than language training. Four countries -- Brazil, Chin
Tulsi Gabbard, who has been picked by President-elect Donald Trump to oversee the US intelligence community, along with influential lawmakers has attended a reception of a newly-created Indian American Business Titans organised in the US capital on the eve of the historic presidential inauguration. Gabbard, influential Republican Senator Rick Scott and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp were seen interacting with Indian-American businessmen and entrepreneurs representing Indian American Business Titans, whose members have a net worth of at least between USD 500 million and USD 1 billion and are mostly from Florida, Georgia and Missouri. Our purpose is to do fundraising for good candidates. That's why we said it in our thing that empowering leadership policy means prosperity. We are prosperous. Most of my group members are in a billion and more. We created billions of dollars in the US and Canada, successful hotelier and entrepreneur from Florida Danny Gaekwad, who is the brain behind such
Celebrating the largest representation of the community in the history of the US Congress, Indian American lawmakers on Friday said that they are looking forward to welcoming more Indian American members of Congress in the future. When I first took office in 2013, I was the only Indian American member of Congress and the third ever in our nation's history, said Congressman Dr Ami Bera, the senior-most Indian American lawmaker in the House of Representatives. Since that day, I have been committed to ensuring we grow our representation in Congress. In the past decade, I am proud to be joined by incredible Indian American colleagues from around the country -- Representatives Jayapal, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi and Thanedar, he said. With the swearing-in of the 119th Congress, our cohort has grown to a record six members with the election of Representative Subramanyam in Virginia. I look forward to welcoming even more Indian American Members of Congress in the future! Bera said, days after
The medical license of an Indian American physician has been permanently revoked for illegally recruiting and harbouring two Indian women to be household servants for low pay. Dr Harsha Sahni, who maintained a rheumatology practice in Colonia, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to conceal and harbour aliens and filing a false tax return last February. She is scheduled to begin serving a 27-month prison sentence handed down by a federal court judge in October 2024, Attorney General Matthew J Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced on Wednesday. Sahni had been temporarily suspended from the practice of medicine since September 2023, as the State pursued an administrative action to revoke her license in the wake of her criminal plea. The revocation announced today brings closure to a disturbing case in which a physician sworn to uphold the highest standards of care and compassion exploited and abused vulnerable victims for her own financial gain
In a momentous occasion for Indian Americans, six of their leaders on Friday were sworn-in as the members of the US House of Representatives, the largest so far for this minority ethnic community in the United States. When I was first sworn in twelve years ago, I was the sole Indian American Member of Congress and only the third in US history. Now, our coalition is six strong! I am excited to welcome even more Indian Americans to the halls of Congress in the years to come! Congressman Dr Ami Bera said in a post on X. Bera, the senior most of them, who has been sworn-in for the seventh consecutive term as a representative of the seventh Congressional District of California, also posted a picture of all the six Indian American Congressman from the floor of the House. Suhash Subramanian, who represents the 10th Congressional District of Virginia is the newest Indian American to be a member of the House of Representatives. First day of work! Honoured to be sworn into the #119th Congress
Outraged at the continuing anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, Hindu Americans in the Silicon Valley have launched a massive awareness "Ask Yunus Why" campaign that includes expensive billboards and large hoardings in this part of California. The first billboard of the campaign by the United Hindu Council was unveiled at a prominent location on 880-N and Market Street in Oakland before Christmas. Over the next three months, digital billboards at six key locations across the Bay Area, including high-traffic zones and major bridges, will display messages designed to raise awareness and spark conversations around this critical issue, a media release said. The harm and violence being perpetrated on the Hindu minority and other minorities in Bangladesh under the governance of Mohammad Yunus is highly regrettable. He and his government should be inclusive of all Bangladeshis and stop oppressing the minorities based on their religion, the council said in a statement. On behalf of the ...
US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Indian American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author Sriram Krishnan as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence. Sriram Krishnan will serve as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Trump said on Sunday as he announced a number of appointments on artificial intelligence or AI. Krishnan, who has previously led product teams at Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook and Snap, will work along with David O. Sacks who will be the White House AI & Crypto Czar. Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in AI and help shape and coordinate AI policy across government, including working with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sriram started his career at Microsoft as a founding member of Windows Azure, Trump said. Krishnan said, I'm honored to be able to serve our ..
An influential Indian-American organisation has urged US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to call on the government of Bangladesh to protect the minority Hindu community in the country. In separate letters to Biden and Trump, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the escalating human rights violations against religious minorities in Bangladesh and the recent arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. Bangladesh's minority Hindus have faced over 200 attacks, including those on their temples, since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5, according to the FIIDS. Das was arrested on Monday in a sedition case and later denied bail by a court, triggering protests by community members in various locations, including the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram. He was a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and was recen
Indian Americans in Silicon Valley held a solidarity rally for Hindus in Canada and Bangladesh over violence against them in these two countries. Addressing a gathering of scores of Indian Americans at the Milpitas City Hall, prominent community leaders spoke out about the attacks on the Hindu minority urging US leaders to condemn the human rights violations and hold the Canadian and Bangladesh governments accountable to safeguard their Hindu minority populations. The Bay Area is home to more than 200,000 Indian Americans. Participants at the rally expressed disappointment at the poor handling of the attack on Hindu devotees at the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton where Khalistanis attacked Hindu devotees, a media release said. People in the rally were seen raising slogans "Stop khalistani terrorism, protect Canadian-Hindus", "Stop Islamist terrorism, protect Bangladeshi-Hindus". "We saw videos of the Khalistani terrorists invading the temple premises and beating up men, women and .
Days after the defeat of Kamala Harris in the presidential elections, a top Indian American Congressman on Sunday said that the Democratic Party should focus only on addressing the economic hardships of the people. We need to have a vision on building new factories, on helping raise the minimum wage, on dealing with childcare, and emphasizing that our party has a better economic story," said Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in the US House of Representatives told CBS News in an interview. We did not have a compelling enough economic vision. The Democratic Party should have one simple mission, and that is to address the economic hardships and struggles of many Americans, not just working-class Americans, a large slice of Americans who feel the American Dream has slipped away for their families and their kids, Khanna said. "I think that could unify our party, moderates and progressives. It transcends race and will help us with Latino voters, Black voters, white working-class .
Six Indian Americans have won the elections to the House of Representatives, increasing their number from five in the current Congress. Indian-American lawyer Suhas Subramanyam created history by becoming the first from the community to be elected from Virginia and the entire East Coast. Subramanyan defeated Mike Clancy of the Republican Party. He is currently a Virginia State Senator. There is a possibility that the number of Indian Americans in the House of Representatives increased to seven as Dr Amish Shah was leading by a slender margin against his Republican incumbent in the first Congressional District of Arizona. I am honoured and humbled that the people of Virginia's 10th District put their trust in me to take on the toughest fights and deliver results in Congress. This district is my home. I got married here, my wife Miranda and I are raising our daughters here, and the issues our community faces are personal to our family. It is an honour to continue serving this distric
Over three dozen Indian Americans are running for local bodies and state legislation elections across the country reflecting the growing interest among this small ethnic community to be part of political mainstream. If you are not at the table, you are on the menu, Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi comments at various Indian American gatherings motivating and encouraging community members to run for elections at all levels. Probably the largest number of Indian Americans running for local offices are in the state of California, which sends two members to the House of Representatives Ro Khanna and Dr Ami Bera in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris whose mother was from India. Those include Adlah Chisti who is running for County Supervisor for District 11, Aliya Chisti for City College Board San Francisco, Darshana Patel for State Assembly, Nicole Fernandez for San Mateo City Council, Nithya Raman for Los Angeles City Council, Richa Awasthi for Foster City Council
The pursuit of living an American dream isn't always as shiny as it looks from outside for the Indian immigrants. While navigating the complex US immigration system, it can be fraught with obstacles. The path to permanent residency and citizenship can be long, uncertain, and emotionally taxing, often putting a strain on personal and professional lives. For many people, the H-1B visa is a conundrum. While a popular route for skilled Indian workers, it comes with its own set of challenges as it has a limited availability. The annual cap on H-1B visas means that many qualified applicants are left out due to the lottery system. Ajeet who came to this country realised that the H1B route wasn't meant for him. He calls the US immigration system broken. I call this the broken immigration system. India is such a large country and we are given the same seven per cent quota as any other small country. How is it fair? I figured the H1B system is a lottery system and it won't work for me. He c