0
0
Dear President Trump,
On behalf of the Indian American community, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations on your historic victory and remarkable resiliency in this election. Your leadership and deep connection with the American people have culminated in this extraordinary accomplishment.
We deeply appreciate your enduring commitment to the Indian-American community and your vision for a stronger U.S.-India partnership. As an organization representing the 4.5 million Indian-Americans who contribute significantly to technology, academia, business, and healthcare, we look forward to collaborating with your administration to advance shared goals.
FIIDS remains dedicated to key issues that directly impact Indian-Americans and the broader U.S.-India relationship. We regularly host policy awareness and advocacy events focusing on the U.S.-India partnership. Notably, we organized:
- Capitol Hill Advocacy Summit on June 13, 2024, where we engaged with nearly 100 elected officials and staff to advocate for issues impacting the Indian-American community.
- U.S.-India Partnership Summit showcasing robust bilateral relations with participation from ambassadors, State Department representatives, the NSF director, and over 12 elected officials.
- Tech Immigration Summit on March 11, 2024, emphasizing solutions to Green Card backlogs and improving legal immigration policies.
Key Requests from Indian Americans:
- U.S.-India Relations: Enhancing US-India multidimensional partnerships, making tangible progress on the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (ICET) and codifying India’s Major Defense Partner (MDP) status for a closer defense partnership.
- Indo-Pacific Security: Ensuring regional stability and addressing global supply chain dangers in the Indo-Pacific, especially due to CPC’s hegemony
- Immigration Reform: For US competitive advantage in technologies, supporting skills-based immigration systems and addressing the workforce challenges posed by 7% country quota causing backlogs by which more than 400,000 tech professionals are in decades long delay for GC impacting their ability to contribute to tech and economy beyond their current employer. In this context, we commend your June 20, 2024, promise to grant Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to STEM graduates from U.S. universities. This initiative is vital for maximizing America’s competitive edge in technology and ensuring talented graduates contribute to the U.S. economy. We urge your administration to implement this critical reform as part of broader efforts to address Green Card backlogs and ensure merit-based immigration policies.
- Technology Leadership: Strengthening America’s dominance in AI, robotics, drone, automation, crypto and other technologies.
- Protecting Religious Minorities: Combating religious phobia and protecting minorities both domestically and internationally, especially in Canada, Bangladesh, Pakistan as well as some parts in the US where Indian religious minority temples, businesses and institutions were targeted
- Education, Economy, and Small Businesses: Enhance the US education system to enhance excellence by promoting a meritocracy-based education system and policies that drive economic growth while empowering small businesses.
- Addressing Global Jihadi Terrorism: Tackling the growing threats of jihadi extremism that fuel instability in the Middle East and unrest in U.S. universities, ensuring domestic safety and international peace.
Your administration’s focus on these priorities will ensure continued prosperity for all Americans while strengthening America’s position as a global leader.
Congratulations once again, President Trump. We wish you success in this next chapter of leadership and are eager to contribute to building a prosperous and harmonious America.
Warm regards,
Khanderao Kandkhanderao@fiids-usa.org
President and Chief of Policy and Strategy
Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS)
