For decades, Indians have been considered and regarded as one of the most peaceful communities in the USA.
Generally, their names hardly used to flash in crime news. But these days, very frequently, Indian names are being seen in crime stories in the USA.
When asked, the experts kept saying different reasons.
One respondent said, “The reasons are many, and the first one is the rise in the population of Indian immigrants, be it students or H-1B visa holders, while opportunities are dwindling. Though the USA is a land of opportunities, it is not as abundant as it was earlier. So desperate people who are unable to find jobs are getting into petty crimes like shoplifting for survival.”
Another respondent said, “Earlier, students used to live on part-time jobs. But now, with the latest strict enforcement of the law, they are desperate. Their parents are sending them Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 2 lakhs from India. Those who can live with that are managing, but some are getting into crime rackets like phishing to reduce pressure on their middle-class parents in India. Once caught, they land in jail followed by permanent deportation.”
“The cost of living before the pandemic was reasonable. Now it has increased by two or three times. Even by discreetly doing jobs that earn a certain amount of dollars per hour, they are unable to make ends meet and hence get into petty crimes for survival,” said another.
A consultant stated, “This is the worst phase in the history of the American job consultancy business. There are no sufficient openings at all. Forget about getting a job — even getting called for a job interview is not happening. I know an H-1B employee who lost his job in January but didn’t get a single interview call for six months despite applying to more than 150 companies across many states. That’s why people are getting trapped by online criminals and eventually ruining their lives.”
Other than this, there are also some people who have been living with fake green cards for many years.
When asked how they dare to do that, a respondent said, “Such people are there. They say that if their green card is identified as a fake one, they will be deported. Even if they have no card at all, the result is the same — deportation. So, holding a fake one gives them a chance to stay longer if it’s not detected. Not having any card means certain deportation, so when the result is the same, they feel it’s better to hold a fake one.”
“Many Indian students take loans in India and come to the USA. To clear that loan, going back to India with no job is not an option. They believe only the dollar can help clear their debts and secure their future. These days, many students pray that companies hire them at least long enough for them to pay off their education loans and then let them go, so they can return to India with their debts cleared,” said another respondent.
On the whole, the situation is very challenging for Indians who land in the USA with high hopes of designing their lives here.
Whatever it is, this serves as an alarm for all students and H-1B visa holders who have lost their jobs — to not get into any sort of crime, as that would land them in severe imprisonment followed by deportation.
