In a move that could potentially delay President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to crack down on immigration, the Biden administration has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 900,000 immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan. This decision, announced just days before Trump’s inauguration, grants these individuals a deportation reprieve and access to work permits for an additional 18 months.

The move is seen as a strategic effort to safeguard the rights of vulnerable immigrants, who have been living and working in the US under TPS. By extending the program, the Biden administration is effectively putting in place a temporary barrier against any potential attempts by the Trump administration to dismantle or significantly alter the program.

TPS has become a contentious issue, with Republicans arguing that it has been granted too liberally to too many foreigners, and acts as a draw to migrants to come to the US illegally. However, the program has been expanded aggressively under Biden, with over 1 million people from 17 countries currently living in the US under TPS.

The extension of TPS for Venezuelans, in particular, is significant, given the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cited the “inhumane” government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third term on Friday, as justification for the extension.

Countries affected by the TPS extension:

– Venezuela: Over 600,000 Venezuelans will benefit from the extension, which is based on the “humanitarian emergency” the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the Maduro regime.
– El Salvador: More than 230,000 Salvadorans are protected under the program, which was first extended to the country in 2001 after a series of earthquakes.
– Ukraine: Approximately 100,000 people from Ukraine will benefit from the extension, which is based on the ongoing conflict in the region.
– Sudan: 1,900 individuals from Sudan will also benefit from the extension.

The TPS program was established under President George H.W. Bush as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. It is intended to provide foreigners already in the US with protections from deportation amid political strife, natural disasters, or armed conflict in their home countries.
 

Ottawa:

In yet another worrying move for Indian immigrants living in Canada, the Canadian federal government has announced that it will not accept any new applications for sponsoring parents and grandparents for permanent residence in 2025. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said that in 2025, it will only process family sponsorship applications that were submitted in 2024 under the Parents and Grandparents Program.

The IRCC intends to process a maximum of just 15,000 sponsorship applications over the course of 2025, according to a report by Canadian immigration news website CIC. 

What Other Options Do Immigrants Have?

Canadian citizens and permanent residents, who want to call their parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for an extended period, can still sponsor their relatives for a super visa. A super visa allows relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit them for up to five years at a time. 

What is the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Programme?

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Parents and grandparents approved under this program receive Canadian permanent residence and may eventually be able to apply for Canadian citizenship.

People sponsored through PGP can enjoy the full benefits of Canadian permanent residence including being able to work in Canada, obtain health care, get full protection under Canadian law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and apply to become a Canadian citizen once they meet the eligibility criteria.

As there are a lot more sponsors interested in the PGP programme than there are available spots, the IRCC uses a lottery system to issue invitations to apply to those who have submitted an interest to sponsor form. Per the CIC report, between 2020 to 2024, IRCC issued invitations to sponsors who had submitted forms during the 2020 intake.

Reason To Pause PGP

IRCC has shrunk the permanent resident targets by 20 per cent for 2025. Part of this cut included a reduction in the allocation for landings under the PGP. In the earlier Immigration Levels Plan, published in 2023, IRCC targeted to let 34,000 foreign nationals get sponsored in 2025 under PGP. However, the new target for 2025 is 24,500 landings through the PGP.

The Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which allows international students, including those from India, to gain work experience in the US after graduation, is facing scrutiny amid growing concerns over foreign worker programmes. The OPT programme has been criticised for being exploited to fill American jobs, with some arguing it’s being used as a long-term immigration pathway, bypassing traditional channels.

Originally designed for temporary skill development, the OPT programme permits foreign students on F-1 visas to work in the US for up to three years if they have a STEM degree. Critics claim it operates without Congressional approval and competes with US graduates for job opportunities, calling it a “backdoor” entry into the US job market.

US Tech Workers group has opposed the programme and said “The OPT programme is a guest worker scheme disguised as an internship for foreign students. Universities are selling work permits instead of education. Created illegally like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Trump should end OPT to protect American college grads from unfair competition,” on X.

In closing, the OPT program is a guest worker scheme disguised as an internship for foreign students. Universities are selling work permits instead of education. Created illegally like DACA, Trump should end OPT to protect American college grads from unfair competition.

— U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) December 30, 2024

Moreover, Indian students rely on the programme for professional opportunities and H-1B visas. The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech) took the programme to court in 2023, declaring that it harms American workers. However, a lower court’s ruling was upholded, which validated the programme.

The programme’s future is uncertain, with some policymakers pushing for its elimination, while others defend it as essential for attracting international talent and boosting the US economy. Historically, both Republican and Democratic administrations have extended the OPT programme, citing its economic and cultural benefits.

Eliminating OPT could impact the appeal of US universities for international students, affecting the financial and academic resources they provide. International students contribute billions to the US economy, making this a significant consideration.
 

Indian diaspora on Saturday issued a media advisory strongly condemning the racist attacks on Sriram Krishnan, who was recently appointed as Senior AI Advisor by President-elect Donald Trump.

“Sriram Krishnan, who was recently appointed by President-elect Trump as his Senior AI Advisor, has become a target of reprehensible racist attacks. There is absolutely no place in our public discourse for spiteful, vengeful, racially motivated, ad hominem epithets,” the advisory reads.

“At Indiaspora, we categorically and unequivocally denounce racism of any and all kinds. As enunciated in our media statement issued a few days ago, we strongly support Sriram’s appointment to this important position because we are confident that he will serve America very well in public office,” it added.

Recently, the Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna criticised those targeting Indian-born Krishnan, over his Indian origin. Khanna emphasised that the ability of the United States to attract talent from around the world shows America’s “exceptionalism” which puts it ahead of other countries like China.

Following a post by an X user, who wrote, “Did any of yall vote for this Indian to run America,” Khanna on X wrote, “You fools criticizing @sriramk as Indian born criticize Musk as South African born or Jensen as Taiwanese born.”

“It is great that talent around the world wants to come here, not to China, and that Sriram can rise to the highest levels. It’s called American exceptionalism,” the post added.

US President-elect Donald Trump nominated Sriram Krishnan as senior policy advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Sharing a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “Sriram Krishnan will serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.”

“Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in AI, and help shape and coordinate Al policy across Government, including working with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Sriram started his career at Microsoft as a founding member of Windows Azure,” he said.

Krishnan, 41, acknowledged the offer and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity by saying, “I’m honoured to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with @DavidSacks. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this opportunity.”

Krishnan till recently was a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and a personal investor in over two dozen companies including SpaceX, Figma and Scale.ai.

He previously led organisations at Meta, X and Microsoft. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology from SRM Engineering College, Anna University.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Immigration lawyers are urging their foreign clients who work in tech and are in the US on visas to return to the country before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The warning comes as the Trump administration is expected to include several executive orders that will limit access to several types of work visas, particularly those that are common in the tech industry. According to the New York Post, Mr Trump has also vowed to reinstate his ban on people entering the country from Muslim-majority countries. 

So in light of this, US-based immigration lawyers have asked foreign tech workers on visas to return to the country before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. “Storm is coming. And this time, we know exactly what it’s going to bring,” Texas-based immigration lawyer Jason Finkelman told Business Insider. 

“I think it’s possible that Trump may attempt to impose travel bans from certain countries just as he did when he initially tried to implement travel restrictions. While I think travel bans will likely face challenges in the courts, it may lead to issues of US employers being restricted from hiring and retaining the foreign talent they need for their operations,” Mr Finkelman said. 

A California-based lawyer is also urging her clients who are travelling overseas to return to the country in anticipation of a possible travel ban. Separately, another lawyer wondered whether the Trump administration’s new travel ban could include China. “The wildcard for me is what happens to China,” the lawyer told the outlet. 

Also Read | US Woman Claims She Was Denied Promotion For Being Black, Single Mother: Lawsuit

Techies in the US are now waiting to see what Mr Trump will do with the H1-B visa, which allows companies to hire immigrants for speciality roles that require certain skills. Often, an H-1B visa is the only way a high-skilled foreign national can work long-term in the US. Critics say that an H-1B visa allows companies to pay lower wages with fewer protections. 

Notably, in Trump’s first term, the number of applications for H-1B visas that were denied surged. During his presidency, he also issued his “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, directing cabinet members to suggest reforms to ensure that business visas were only awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants in a bid to protect American workers. 

Washington:

Stricter immigration policies are already in order as US President-elect Donald Trump is set to assume office in a month.

In a list drawn up by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 1.45 million people are slated for deportation, among which 18,000 undocumented Indians are also included.

Over the past 3 years, about 90,000 Indians were apprehended trying to cross into the United States – illegally, most of these individuals come from states like Punjab, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, according to the Times Of India.

For many undocumented Indians, the journey to legalise their status is fraught with bureaucratic challenges that have waiting periods stretching up to two or three years.

However, India is not the country from where the most number of undocumented immigrants turn up. The countries bordering the United States such as Honduras, Guatemala top the list with 261,000 and 253,000 undocumented individuals respectively.

In Asia, China leads with 37,908 undocumented individuals and India stands as the 13th with 17,940 of individuals.

In this entire approach of border security and stricter immigration policies, India has been classified as one of the “uncooperative” countries in the deportation process. Other countries in this list include Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Venezuela. This lack of cooperation could further prove a challenge in diplomatic relations.

“Conducting interviews, issuing travel documents in a timely manner, and accepting the physical return of their nationals by scheduled commercial or charter flights consistent with ICE and/or foreign government removal guidelines,” ICE document cites

Since Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation process in American history, thousands of undocumented Indians with final orders of deportation will be sent back to India.
 

Data Point: Germany wants Indian workers, but right-wing AfD resists

| Video Credit:
The Hindu

While countries such as Australia, Canada, and the U.S. are limiting or planning to limit visas for immigrant workers, Germany is planning to increase them. This is good news for Indians, who already make up the largest group of foreign residents in Germany, both as students and workers.

However, the country is also facing snap elections next year. Germany’s far-right anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany — AfD — is on the rise. In September this year, they secured a big win in the Eastern German State of Thuringia. They are also the second-most popular party, according to the Politico’s ‘Poll of Polls’.

What does this mean for Indian migrants in Germany? How will this clash of needs and politics unfold? In this video, we explore these questions.

Read more: Germany opens doors to skilled Indians amid global visa cuts

Presentation and script: Vignesh Radhakrishnan

Data Support and editing: Sambavi Parthasarathy

Videography: Shivaraj.S

Bhubaneswar:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said security agencies should focus on emerging security challenges along the eastern border, immigration and trends in urban policing.

Inaugurating the annual DGPs/IGPs conference here, which will discuss a host of emerging national security challenges, including counter-terrorism and left-wing extremism, Mr Shah also congratulated the police leadership for the smooth conduct of the 2024 general elections and the seamless rollout of the three new criminal laws.

The focus should be on emerging security challenges along the eastern border, immigration and trends in urban policing, Mr Shah was quoted as saying in an official release.

The home minister’s statement bears significance as India’s eastern neighbour Bangladesh has seen unrest following the ouster of its then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and an interim administration taking charge in August.

There have been reports of attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, an issue New Delhi has raised strongly with Dhaka.

Mr Shah expressed satisfaction at the significant achievements leading to improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast and states affected by left-wing extremism.

The home minister said the three new criminal laws have transformed the ethos of the country’s criminal justice system from punishment-oriented to justice-oriented. He emphasised that the spirit of the new laws is rooted in Indian tradition.

Mr Shah also called for taking the initiative towards a zero-tolerance strategy against terrorism.

“Under the leadership of PM Modi, Bharat is building its police force as an apparatus capable of both securing the nation against new-age challenges and addressing the root causes of crime and terrorism.

“The DGPs/IGPs conference serves as a knowledge-sharing platform to fortify policing in every state through collaboration,” he said.

The 59th three-day DGPs/IGPs conference will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and provide a platform for senior police officers to freely discuss and debate diverse national security-related issues besides various operational, infrastructural and welfare-related problems faced by the police.

In the next two days of the conference, the top brass of police leadership would chalk out a roadmap to counter existing and emerging national security challenges, including left-wing extremism, coastal security, narcotics, cybercrime and economic security.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the three-day conference will include deliberations on critical components of national security, including counter-terrorism, left-wing extremism, coastal security, new criminal laws and narcotics.

Its deliberations will include formulation and sharing of professional practices and processes in tackling challenges relating to crime control and law-and-order management, besides internal security threats.

“The Prime Minister not only listens attentively to all contributions but also fosters an environment of open and informal discussions, allowing for the emergence of new ideas.

“This year, some unique features have also been added to the conference. The entire day is being effectively utilised starting from a yoga session, business session, break-out sessions and thematic dining tables,” the PMO said in a statement.

This will also provide senior police officials with a valuable opportunity to present their perspectives and suggestions to PM Modi on critical policing and internal security matters that impact the country, it added.

The Prime Minister will be present for the remaining two days of the conference and deliver the concluding address on Sunday.

Around 250 officers in the rank of DGP and IGP will physically attend the conference while more than 200 others are participating in it virtually.

Sources said many officers have been tasked with delivering presentations on specific subjects such as counter-terrorism, online fraud, cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, activities of pro-Khalistani groups and left-wing extremism, among others.

The conference also provides an opportunity to identify tangible action points and monitor their progress, which are presented before the Prime Minister every year.

The event is the culmination of extensive deliberations involving police and intelligence officers from district, state and national levels on identified themes, sources said.

Best practices from states and Union territories under each of the themes will be presented at the conference so that states can learn from each other.

Since 2014, the Prime Minister has taken a keen interest in the DGP conference. Free-flowing thematic discussions over breakfast, lunch and dinner have also been planned for this year’s conference.

This will provide an opportunity for senior police officials to share their views and recommendations on key policing and internal security issues affecting the country with the Prime Minister.

Till 2013, the annual meet was held in New Delhi. The following year, after PM Modi came to power, a decision was taken to organise the event, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Intelligence Bureau, outside the national capital.

Accordingly, the conference was organised at Guwahati in 2014, Dhordo in the Rann of Kutch in 2015, National Police Academy in Hyderabad in 2016, BSF Academy in Tekanpur in 2017, Kevadiya in 2018, IISER, Pune in 2019, at police headquarters, Lucknow, in 2021, at the National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, Delhi in 2023, and Jaipur in January 2024.

Before 2014, the deliberations largely focused on national security matters. Since 2014, these conferences have a twin focus on national security as well as core policing issues, including prevention and detection of crime, community policing, law and order and improving the police’s image, among others.

Earlier, the conference was Delhi-centric with officers coming together only for the meet.

Residing on the same premises over two to three days has served to build a heightened sense of unity among officers of all cadres and organisations since 2014, an official added.

Direct interaction of the police’s top brass with the head of government has resulted in a convergence of views on crucial challenges faced by the country and the emergence of doable recommendations, sources said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)