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IMMIGRATION NOVEMBER 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 34
Navigating the
Immigration Maze in
an Age of Fear and Hope
CYRUS MEHTA stands in their way. labor certifications were ap- has weaponized it further dani has been subjected to
proved. And still they wait— through cruelty. He rose to vile racist and Islamophobic
mmigration is one of the A System in Crisis sometimes longer than a hu- power demonizing immi- attacks, all because his ascent
most complex areas of man lifetime. grants, and since his second represents immigrant pow-
Ithe law—so complex that here are far too few We also see enormous inauguration in January 2025, er—and that terrifies those
legal pathways for
even seasoned lawyers strug- Tpeople to come to the delays in processing petitions he has embraced that cruelty who have implemented pol-
gle to keep pace with shifting United States, whether to re- for “immediate relatives”— openly. icies to subjugate them and
rules, changing interpreta- unite with family or to work spouses, parents, minor He empowered peo- keep them in line.
tions, and unpredictable out- for employers who genuinely children—people who are ple like Stephen Miller and This administration has
comes. need their skills. supposed to have the most Kristi Noem to unleash ICE repeatedly declared that even
Yet despite this com- direct legal path. Add to this in unprecedented ways—de- lawful permanent residents
It is unconscionable that
plexity, people continue to highly skilled Indian-born the unpredictability of visa taining noncitizens for lawful are merely “guests” who may
come. They come because professionals must wait stamping abroad, and fami- speech that displeases the be removed for speech that
the United States has long many decades for a green lies are thrown into needless administration. offends those in power. They
represented freedom, op- card. These individuals al- uncertainty. portray immigrants as un-
portunity, and the promise ready have bona fide job of- And then comes one of Foreign students at welcome, job-stealing, dan-
of a better future. But our fers. Their employers tested the most frustrating prob- gerous interlopers—despite
immigration system—deep- the U.S. labor market. Their lems: the government re- prestigious U.S. univer- the reality that immigrants
ly flawed as it is—too often peatedly shifts the goalposts. sities have been taken are the backbone of the la-
For instance, a new pub- bor force in construction,
lic charge policy allows by masked ICE agents agriculture, caregiving, tech-
consular officers to deny simply for protesting nology, and countless other
visas simply because sectors.
a person has common Israel’s military opera- They imagine an Amer-
conditions like obesity tion in Gaza, which has ica without immigrants—a
or diabetes—a discrim- fantasy that has never existed
inatory and medically resulted in over 65,000 and never will.
unsound expansion of deaths.
the rule. Authoritarianism Begins With
Let us not forget Noncitizens
Visas have been revoked
that the Trump admin- for individuals who criticized
istration even floated a the President, including No- e must under-
$100,000 filing fee for bel laureates, or who voiced stand this clearly:
H-1B petitions—anoth- critical views of Charlie Kirk WAuthoritarianism
er unmistakable signal after his death. All such rarely begins with citizens. It
that their objective is not speech is protected by the begins with noncitizens.
fairness, but exclusion. First Amendment. Once the rights of immi-
It then sought to rein- Even U.S. citizens have grants are trampled, as that
terpret and clarify, but been caught in these sweeps, can be more easily achieved,
caused more confusion. creating a level of fear this this erosion expands out-
As a result of Trump’s ward. By the time citizens
m of attacks on the H-1B visa country has never expe- recognize the danger, the
CYRUS D. MEHTA & PARTNERS PLLC program that is wide- rienced in modern times. mechanisms of oppression
America—once revered as a
ly used by Indian na- are already in place.
beacon of freedom—has not
tionals, racists are now seen such weaponization of This is why knowing our
openly targeting Indian rights is essential. You do
Americans. immigration power since its not have to speak to ICE
darkest moments.
if approached in the street.
Fear as Policy Trump and some Repub- Agents need a judicial war-
lican politicians have openly rant—not an ICE-issued
s defective as threatened to deport natural- form—to arrest you.
the immigration ized citizens in the hope that
2 6th Floor Asystem already they can denaturalize them. And we need lawyers
is, President Trump Mayor-elect Zohran Mam-
willing to defend these rights
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