The fears of H-1B visa holders and Indian students in the U.S. have become a reality. As anticipated, Donald Trump’s influence is beginning to adversely affect the Indian community, especially students. Following the COVID pandemic, the U.S. relaxed visa regulations and granted hundreds of thousands of student visas to assist its universities, recognizing the important financial contribution that international students make through tuition and other expenditures.

An anti-H-1B and anti-illegal immigration movement is currently gaining traction. The Trump administration has responded seriously, resulting in ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids that are creating fear among H-1B visa holders and Indian students. Consequently, numerous Indian restaurants, desi grocery stores, and other businesses owned by Indians have started to let Indian students go from their illegal part-time jobs. This has led to a troubling situation for many Indian master’s students who depend significantly on these off-campus jobs for their financial support.

Indian companies that depend on inexpensive labor from master’s students are currently in a state of alarm, worried about the possibility of being caught and facing serious legal repercussions and fines. A significant number of Indian students in the U.S. are already struggling in a challenging job market as they try to extend their stay in hopes of winning an H-1B visa through the lottery or finding their first job. However, due to the recent immigration raids, many of them are finding it difficult to meet their monthly expenses.

Many Indian students are currently reliant on their parents for financial support, who have to send money from India. However, this approach isn’t practical since transferring funds in dollars requires a significant amount of wealth. Most Indian students in the United States have borrowed money for their studies and entered the country on student visas, often supporting themselves through part-time jobs that are not legally authorized. As ICE raids become more frequent, fear is spreading, and this is evident throughout the U.S. Numerous Indian grocery stores have begun displaying job openings, but they explicitly state that only those with legal work status can apply.