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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline February 12, 2021 | The Indian Eye 34

the Barack Obama administration. During his tenure, he helped aman KaPoor
in shaping the Treasury Department’s crisis response to Ukraine,
Russia, Greece, and Puerto Rico. group requests Biden not
Singh oversaw the implementation of the New York Fed’s
emergency facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic. He joined to issue h-1B visas until
the New York Fed in February 2020. In his role as the Head of the
Markets Group, he worked on bringing together policy, strategy,
analysis, and operational effectiveness. He was also a member of country-cap is removed
the Executive Committee.
President and CEO of the New York Fed John C Williams
said: “Over the past year, Daleep has played a critical leadership
role in the emergency facilities the Fed launched in response to
Covid-19. I’m thrilled that he will continue to leverage his knowl-
edge and expertise in support of economic policy at this import-
ant time.”

nader J sayegh

nY assembly passes

Kashmir resolution

n February 3, the New
York State Assembly
Opassed a resolution
that calls on Governor Andrew
Cuomo to announce February
5 as Kashmir American Day
in the State of New York. This
resolution drew sharp criticism n Thursday, an immigration advocacy group represent-
ing Indian Americans, Immigration Voice requested the
from India which “noted with OBiden administration not to issue the H1-B work visas to
concern attempts by vested anyone born in India, till the removal of discriminatory country-cap
interests to misrepresent Jam- on green card or permanent legal residency.
mu and Kashmir’s rich cultural
and social mosaic to divide the The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that lets US companies
people.” hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoret-
Assembly-member Nader J ical or technical knowledge. Biden administration has decided to
allow employers of H-1B visa holders to start registrations online
Sayegh and 12 other lawmak- for the H1-B Visa lottery from March 9 for the fiscal year 2022.
ers sponsored the resolution, In a statement, the Immigration Voice said: “The current
which states that the Kashmi- per-country cap on issuing of green cards in the US has result-
ri community has overcome
numerous adversities, exhibited perseverance, and established ed in Indian professionals, mostly from the IT sector, having to
themselves as one of the pillars of the New York immigrant com- wait for decades for their legal permanent residency. Issuing new
munities. It also states that “the State of New York endeavors H-1B visas to more Indians would add to this agonizing painful
wait for green cards.”
to champion human rights, including the freedom of religion, President of Immigration Voice Aman Kapoor stated that
movement, and expression for all Kashmiri people, which are issuing of H-1B visas will unwillingly lure over 60,000 addition-
embedded within the US Constitution, through the recognition
of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious identities”. al Indian nationals “to engage in a life of indentured servitude
“We have seen the New York Assembly Resolution regarding where their very existence and the lives of their families will be
completely subject to the whims of their employer, new admin-
Kashmir American Day. Like the US, India is a vibrant democ- istrations, or even individual immigration adjudicators having a
racy and the pluralistic ethos of 1.35 billion people is a matter of bad day.”
pride. India celebrates its diversity and rich cultural mosaic, in- Kapoor said that membership of Immigration Voice has urged
cluding in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalien-
able part of India. We note with concern the attempt by vested the Biden administration to use its authority under Immigration
interests to misrepresent the rich cultural and social mosaic of and Nationality Act Section 212(f) to exclude any new individual
Jammu and Kashmir to divide the people,” said a spokesperson born in India who aren’t currently in the United States legally
of India’s Embassy in Washington while talking about the reso- from obtaining a new H-1B visa for the first time in the fiscal year
2022. He also said that the advocacy group has asked to not issue
lution. the H-1B visas until “the discriminatory per county limits on Em-
Pakistan’s Consulate General in New York through a tweet ployment-Based green cards are finally lifted” and immigrants
acknowledged the role of Sayegh and The American Pakistani
Advocacy Group towards the adoption of the resolution. from India are no longer treated badly.
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