'Rupturing Social Bridge': Ex-US Envoy To NDTV On Impact Of Trump's Green Card Curbs

Former Indian ambassador Javed Ashraf on Saturday warned that repeated US actions targeting Indian students, H-1B visa holders and green card applicants could rupture the social bridge between the two countries, potentially affecting bilateral ties in the coming years.

“There are geopolitical signals we constantly get… The social bridge between India and the US was a very important driver of this partnership. It was, in one sense, a foundational pillar. It connected the entire Indian middle class, educated and aspirational class. They went there, they were innovators, and a window to India's potential, acting as a great bridge between the two countries,” Ashraf told NDTV during an interview.

“Now you rupture that social bridge at every level….student level, H-1B level, green card level, professional and every level…..and you can see the impact on the relationship in the coming years,” he added.

His remarks come as the Trump administration suspends Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) green card processing for eight major technology and IT services companies.

“Our restraint or circumspection may have been misunderstood in Washington, leading them to believe that they can continue to speak in that language with no particular cost to them or to the relationship,” Ashraf said.

This program is the first required step for an employer to sponsor an H-1B visa holder for an employment-based Green Card. Five Indian IT companies as well as giants like Microsoft have been suspended from the program amid the Trump administration's allegations of misuse and attempts to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour.

“Clearly, the Trump administration is in no mood to relent,” Ashraf said, adding that Washington's approach towards allies was increasingly driven by perceived grievances and the desire to extract concessions.

Ashraf further suggested that the upcoming US midterm elections could be one of the factors driving Trump's push for populist policies.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs, issued a sharp response on the row, noting that: “The steps do not advance both countries' shared ambitions”

"We have also ​seen some comments in this context by the US vice president. We believe that such descriptions ⁠are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to its ​economy and innovation ecosystem," the ministry said.

Vance had said that companies are using the PERM program to replace American employees ​with foreign “indentured servants".