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Why Indian American influencer Vidya Gopalan carries a passport despite US citizenship
Concerns among minorities, including Indian Americans, have grown, prompting them to carry identification for safety. Immigration laws are being revived, with local law enforcement trained to detain immigrants under expanded 287(g) agreements.
US President Donald Trump, during his election campaign, focused on mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, and since assuming his term in office, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) arrests have increased. The Trump administration also rolled back regulations that kept ICE out of schools, churches, and hospitals.
Amid this backdrop, Indian American influencer Vidya Gopalan shared on TikTok that, despite being a US citizen, she carries her passport with her and has instructed her parents and in-laws to do the same, especially because they have accents, according to a report by Axios.
The report said that in another video, a lawyer explained that she asks her children—who hold US passports—to carry theirs, as their Nigerian last names could make them targets.
Impact on Indian students studying in US
The rise in concerns has led international students to share videos online of themselves making copies of their documents or keeping them handy before leaving home.
As of June 2024, there were over 5.4 million people of Indian origin living in the United States.
Axios reported that a University of Michigan Ph.D. student from India expressed that carrying documents around has become a small but important step.
“The environment has made it feel like a small but essential step for peace of mind,” a University of Michigan Ph.D. student from India told Axios on the decision to carry around documents.
Also Read: 487 Illegal Indian immigrants face final removal orders from US, confirms Foreign Ministry
Trump has vowed to deport millions of the estimated 11.7 million people in the US illegally.
Meanwhile, officials advise such individuals to carry copies of their visas or other documentation that proves their legal status.
L.J. D'Arrigo, who leads the immigration practice at Harris Beach Murtha, a law firm in Albany N.Y. said, “There are legitimate reasons for some foreign national populations in some industries that typically employ seasonal migrant workers, like hospitality, manufacturing or landscaping, to be concerned” regardless of their legal status, he noted as reported by Axios.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that more than 8,000 people had been arrested in immigration enforcement actions since Trump's January 20 inauguration, according to a report by Associated Press.
How is immigration law being revived in the US?
Under President Trump, ICE is reviving and expanding the 287(g) program. This decades-old initiative trains local law enforcement officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation, according to AP.
However, Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, recently indicated a desire to expand the program to include local task forces that could make arrests on the streets. This move would revive a model previously discontinued by former President Obama due to racial profiling concerns.
On his first day back in office, Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to maximize 287(g) agreements for local law officers to investigate, apprehend and detain immigrants, Associated Press reported.
The environment has made it feel like a small but essential step for peace of mind.
At a recent National Sheriffs’ Association conference, Homan said the administration is looking to lighten detention facility regulations and shorten the training to encourage greater collaboration with federal immigration officials.
(With inputs from agencies)
Key Takeaways
- The rise of immigration enforcement policies has led to increased anxiety in immigrant communities.
- Carrying documentation, even for U.S. citizens, has become a common practice for peace of mind.
- Public figures like Vidya Gopalan highlight the personal implications of broader political climates.
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Business NewsNewsUs NewsWhy Indian American influencer Vidya Gopalan carries a passport despite US citizenship
First Published:10 Feb 2025, 07:31 AM IST
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