Former US President Donald Trump has promised to give a green card to every foreign student who graduates from any US college as a part of their diploma. While the announcement gave a pinch of hope to Indian migrants & students living in the US and awaiting their green cards for a long time, they now face a major risk. As per reports, due to 'aging out' issues, over 2,50,000 children of legal immigrants, many of whom are Indian-Americans, are at risk of being deported from the United States. These children of legal migrants have been termed 'Documented Dreamers'. Documented Dreamers are the ones who came to the US with their parents on temporary work visas but now face deportation as they turn 21 and lose their dependent status.
Why the 21-year-old children of migrants are facing deportation risks from the US?
As per reports, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) conducted a study of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data as of November 2, and found that over 1.2 million Indians, including dependents, are currently waiting for green cards in EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 categories. Forbes quoted these numbers. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of the US defines a child as someone who is both unmarried and under 21 years old. If a person applies for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status as a child but turns 21 before getting approved for a Green Card, they are no longer considered a child for immigration purposes.
This particular phenomenon is called 'aging out' in the US immigration language. It means those children waiting for their green cards will now have to file a new application, wait longer for a Green Card, or may not be eligible for one anymore.
Reports suggest that the White House blamed Republicans for the legislative impasse, citing that they voted down a bipartisan agreement twice.
It is pertinent to mention here that on June 13, a group of 43 lawmakers led by Senator Alex Padilla, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security, and Representative Deborah Ross urged the Biden administration to take immediate action on the issue.