Sushma takes up H1B, DACA with Tillerson

New Delhi, September 23

In their first stand-alone bilateral meeting, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in New York. The two had earlier this week participated in the India-US-Japan trilateral along the sidelines of the UNGA summit discussing the strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

All aspects of the relationship were taken up with focus on trade and investment ties and impact of Trump administration policies on Indian immigrants and diaspora. 

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MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, “EAM strongly raised the issue of H1B visa and children falling under DACA policy with Secretary Tillerson.”

Estimates by SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) suggest over 20,000 Indian immigrants could face deportation following Trump’s decision to repeal DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). 

A key amnesty granted by former President Obama to children who came illegally to the US, the scrapping of DACA has put a question mark on the future of work permits to thousands of migrants in America, including Indian-Americans. — TNS