Ro Khanna, an Indian-American Congressman, has voiced disappointment over the Biden administration's inaction on the EAGLE Act, which aims to address the backlog affecting Indian professionals seeking Green Cards and resolving H-1B visa issues. Khanna, a Democrat, has criticized the administration led by his own party.
"The EAGLE Act will benefit our economy by lifting the arbitrary per-country green card caps to bring down our decades-long backlog for immigrants. I am deeply disappointed that my amendment to include it in this year's National Defense Authorization Act was not given a vote," Khanna stated in a post on X.
Khanna is advocating for the elimination of country caps to prevent workers from being stuck in limbo, which he argues harms both American workers and H-1B visa holders. Without this reform, the waiting period for Indian immigrants could extend beyond 20 years, and in some cases, even exceed 70 years.
"The EAGLE Act is a bipartisan and common-sense bill. 350 amendments were made in order by the Rules Committee, but my amendment to add it to the NDAA was blocked by the Republican supermajority on the committee," he added.
The EAGLE Act, or the Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment Act, seeks to overhaul the current immigration system by removing the per-country limit on employment-based Green Cards and increasing the cap on family-sponsored Green Cards from 7% to 15%. The White House has endorsed the legislation, recognizing its potential to alleviate the long-standing backlog affecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants, particularly from India and China.
Khanna highlighted the economic benefits of the EAGLE Act, stating, "Our industrial base needs more workers to maintain a strong military and outpace our adversaries. Immigrants help fill a critical shortage and bring vital skills to our economy, supporting all Americans."
He also called for an end to the abuse of H-1B visas by foreign outsourcing companies. "Per-country green card caps cause unproductive backlogs and ignore the realities of our workforce. We must end H1B abuse by foreign outsourcing companies. This abuse decreases wages and harms workers," Khanna wrote on X.
Currently, many prospective employment-based immigrants live and work in the US on temporary visas while waiting for a long-term visa. Due to the per-country caps, individuals can remain in temporary status for years, sometimes even over 100 years.
"I'm moved by the stories I’ve heard from my constituents about how this bill would help. I will continue to champion this critical legislation and explore ways for it to be signed into law," wrote Khanna on X.
