Anyone planning to go to the US is well-versed with the names Obama, Biden, Kamala (because she has Indian roots, of course), and the latest – Donald Trump. The days when Donald used to be associated with a certain Disney character (we won’t name him because of fear of copyright issues) are long gone. Now, the first thing that comes to mind when we say Donald and the US is usually Trump. This was because Donald Trump was the President of the US (or POTUS) from 2016 to 2020. And now, he is running for the same post again in the upcoming US Presidential elections.
A change in a country’s regime means changes in policies, which in turn affect the lives of its citizens. However, the effects of policy changes aren’t just limited to the country’s citizens. Every government has its own views on immigration and what citizens it is willing to take in from which country. Let’s take a smaller example since this might be too complicated for you. Think about how you and your sister have different views about the kind of food you should order. Your sister wants to have Chinese, but you are leaning more towards Spanish cuisine.
Similarly, different factions of the Government can have different views about various things, including immigration. When a particular faction comes into power, it also changes the policies as a whole. Now we know you read the word ‘immigration’ five times so far, so we assume you know where we are going with this one. If you guessed the topic of the blog being ‘immigration policies,’ then you would be right. And if you guessed the topic as the ‘Trump Immigration Policy,’ then cue Amitabh Bachchan in KBC saying – ‘7 crore rupaye!!’
Since you are going to the US, you will be an immigrant. Yes, all your NRI relatives are still immigrants, even after they became permanent residents. So, as an immigrant, the changes in immigration policies will also affect you. With the US Presidential elections happening on November 5, 2024, we thought this might be a good time to shed some light on the Trump immigration policy. A disclaimer – we don’t support or oppose Trump. Let’s face it – almost every Indian has an opinion about Trump. So, we just want to give you a general picture of Trump’s immigration policies and how they affect you. This will help you be a little bit more prepared in case there is a change in the government, i.e., in case Trump becomes president. But if someone from Trump’s opposition, i.e., Democrats, wins, then you are golden!
Starting From The Basics – Who Is Trump?
We know you scroll social media more than you read the newspaper, Rahul. So, we assume that the only thing you know about Donald Trump is that he is running for President of the United States in the upcoming Presidential elections on November 5, 2024. So what he thinks, plans, and, most importantly, the topic of ‘Trump immigration policy’ is quite important for you! Trust us.
However, this is only a very minute part of Donald Trump’s life. While we won’t get into much detail about him as he has had a long life with his hands in many pots (iykyk), we will tell you the important bits. To begin with, the very basic ‘definition’ of Donald Trump is that he is a hard-core businessman!!
Donald Trump is a business tycoon and billionaire. He has many businesses, but his primary business is real estate. He has many properties all across the US. However, Trump rose to fame with the TV show The Apprentice. The show ran for ten seasons and became a major hit. It was also how Trump entered mainstream media.
Trump Enters Into The Political Arena
However, things have changed now, as Donald Trump decided to add another arc to his life journey as he entered politics in 1999. We won’t go that back in time. What you need to know is that he became a prominent name in politics when he ran for the presidential elections in 2016 and won against Hillary Clinton. But his campaign for the journey to the Oval Office was full of a looooottt of drama.
Mr. Trump loves the spotlight and, of course, the drama and fame that comes with it. His 2016 election campaign was no different. It was full of Trump’s hardliner ideology and agenda, much of which brought him notoriety, especially among the immigrant community. This was because it seemed that Donald Trump was against immigrants and talked about the famous ‘Wall’ to keep them out.
And yet, somehow, he still won the election! He is reentering the Presidential race for the November 2024 elections. So before he gets elected as the head of the First World, you should learn more about which of his policies affect you and how they do so. Luckily, we have some answers.
Is Trump Really Against Immigrants?
Yes, Aditi, we know you are excited about finally becoming an NRI. Now, moving to/relocating to a new country makes you an immigrant. Every country has rules, regulations, and laws according to which it takes in people from other countries and even gives citizenship to a few of these people.
America is always the first choice for immigrants. After all, it is the Land of the Free and the Land of Opportunities. But this also means that in the past few years, there has been an influx (read—heavy number of) immigrants in America. While this isn’t a bad thing, it is obviously a major topic of discussion in America’s policy-making.
Now, why are we talking about immigration here? Well, as we stated before, Trump is running for President of the United States. This also means that if he wins, he will make some changes to the US’s existing policies, including immigration policy. Trust us when we say this: he will be making some major changes.
Trump Immigration Policy’ – A Topic Of Great Uproar!
In his previous and new campaigns, Trump has focused heavily on ‘Making America Great Again.’ However, another hotspot in Trump’s campaign centers around immigration. Trump has always been a hardliner when it comes to immigrants. This is not to say that he doesn’t like them. He is just against people who enter a country illegally.
This is exactly what we have been trying to say!! You see, if you are someone who hasn’t entered America illegally (at least we assume you haven’t), there is nothing for you to fear. His policies talk about curbing illegal immigration, not `IMMIGRATION’ in general.
What Exactly Are Trump’s Immigration Policies?
Trump is often branded a ‘Xenophobe’ by the US media and his own opposition because of his harsh immigration policies. But we are not here to get all the political stuff. We promised facts, and we are here to deliver them. So here is what the Trump Immigration Policy is and how it will affect you, our sweet desi.
- Harsher Immigration Laws – Yes, you read that right. Trump’s 2024 Presidential campaign has even harsher immigration laws and policies. He is essentially talking about “the largest domestic deportation operation in American History.” Trump plans to deport as many illegal immigrants as possible.
How does this affect you (a future NRI)?
Trump’s deportation is targeted towards illegal immigrants who have basically entered the US without any proper documentation and visas through illegal channels. We know it’s not you, so this category shouldn’t scare you.
- Reinforcing Travel Bans!! – Trump aims to put travel bans on immigrants as soon as possible! But fear not, as these are majorly focused on Muslim-majority countries. As Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized that he wants to “keep radical Islamic terrorists out” of the US. In the same line, he also talked about the “ideological screening of immigrants” to be able to keep the ‘harmful and terror-causing agents out.’
How does this affect you?
Unless you are a terrorist, this policy shouldn’t scare you. Another thing that works in your favor is that India isn’t a ‘Muslim-majority country,’ so it is highly unlikely there will be any travel bans by the Trump administration for our dear Bharat-Mata.
- Ending Birthright Citizenship – Now, this one is tricky at first glance because it uses the terms ‘birthright’ and ‘citizenship,’ which are both too tricky. So let us explain. ‘Birthright Citizenship basically means that if you are born in America, you are a citizen of America regardless of the nationality of your parents.
Now, Donald Trump plans to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. Previously, if an illegal immigrant’s child were born in the US, the child would automatically be a citizen of the US by virtue of being born on US soil. But Trump isn’t having any of it.
Donald Trump plans to end birthright citizenship, an interpretation of the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment. We know these political science terms scared you, Aditi. So we’ll simplify it. Under Trump’s rule, if you are an illegal immigrant and you give birth on US soil, your kid won’t automatically be a US citizen. For your child to be a citizen, they will need at least one parent who is a US citizen or is a lawful permanent resident. He will also be making laws against ‘birth tourism.’
How does this affect you?
We repeat that this policy is against illegal immigrants, just like others. So, it doesn’t mean that your kids won’t be US citizens or won’t get facilities in the US in the future. They would get those since you will be living in the US legally then as you are now.
However, if you plan to travel to the US just to give birth to your baby, then you should probably not do that under the Trump regime as he will be proposing some laws against ‘birth tourism’ (yes, that is the term for it.).
- War Against Mexico – Before you start worrying about another war, STOP!! This isn’t a literal war that Trump is gearing up to fight. This would be more of a legal one. A majority of illegal immigrants in the US are Mexicans. So, when Trump talks about war, he is talking about a war against illegal Mexican immigrants and Mexican drug cartels.
How does this affect you?
This policy or rather, battle-strategy by Mr. Trump shouldn’t bother you because you are neither an illegal immigrant nor a Mexican. You are indian, so you should just take a chill-pill.
Conclusion – Trump Isn’t Against Indian Immigrants – He is Against Illegal Immigrants!
This was a hefty topic. Even we are tired of such heavy political material. But you are the king/queen, and it’s our duty to give you the correct information. We knew that you would need a crash course on the Trump Immigration Policy. So here it is. This blog had all you would need to know about his policies and views on immigration.
We also hope that now you know that whether Trump wins the elections or his opposition does, you don’t need to be worried about it because you are a citizen of India, which has good ties with the US. Additionally, you are immigrating to the US through highly legal channels. So you aren’t an illegal immigrant or an undocumented immigrant, and hence, Trump’s aggression toward illegal immigrants would never rain hell-fire on you.
