ImmigrationDramatic increase in Indians entering U.S. illegally
There has been a dramatic decrease in the past three years in illegal immigration into the United States — but the same years saw a dramatic increase in illegal immigration from one country: India; in May, DHS secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate committee that at some point this year, Indians will account for about 1 in 3 non-Mexican illegal immigrants caught in Texas; experts say that at least one reason is that, beginning in 2009, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua no longer require Indians to obtain a visa before entering any of the four Central American countries, making it easier for smugglers to bring Indians there, and from there to the United States
Illegal immigrants recently released from detention // Source: sikhnet.com
The overall number of illegal immigrants entering the United States has fallen dramatically over the last three years, but one group of immigrants is growing by leaps and bounds: illegal immigrants from India.
Between October 2009 and march 2011, for example, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested at least 2,600 Indiana — which is a major increase over the more typical 150 to 300 illegal immigrants from India arrested every year until then. Rosendo Hinojosa, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, at the southernmost tip of Texas, which is the most active nationwide for apprehending Indian nationals, told Fox News: “Being the businessmen they are, they need to start looking for ways to supplement that work.”
In May, DHS secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate committee that at some point this year, Indians will account for about 1 in 3 non-Mexican illegal immigrants caught in Texas.
Experts told Fox news that at leas in part, the dramatic increase in the number of Indians entering the United States illegally is the result of the relaxation of entry requirements by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua: in order to attract investors, these four countries, beginning in 2009, allowed visitors from India to enter without visas.
These four countries have been flooded by visitors from India — many of whom had their eyes on making it into United States. The situation had become so bad, that on 6 June Mexico asked Guatemala to re-instate the visa requirements for Indian visitors.
Enrique Degenhart, director of Guatemalan immigration, admitted to Fox news that at least 8,300 Indiana have entered Guatemala since the visa requirement was abolished (the government is not sure of the exact number) — but that the Guatemalan government show that only 28 percent of them have exited Guatemala. The government has no record of the whereabouts of the rest of them.
Many of the Indians detained by the CBP come from Indian states such as Punjab and Gujarat, states that are relatively prosperous. Indian observers note that it is common for people from these two states to seek greater fortunes abroad even if they are financially secure at home.
Also, many of the Indians apprehended are Sikhs — members of India’s fourth-largest religion — who tell U.S. authorities they face persecution back home and want asylum. Observers dismiss these claims, noting that while Sikhs may have been justified feeling persecuted until the mid-1980s, this is no longer the case. India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is Sikh.
