Highlights:
- Lawmakers praised Indian Americans as a “living bridge” anchoring US–India ties.
- Experts noted over $200 billion in economic contributions and 830,000 US jobs supported.
- New $100,000 H-1B visa fee drew sharp criticism for targeting Indians.
- Rising tariffs and restrictive immigration policies seen as threats to bilateral goodwill.
- Witnesses warned that anti-Indian sentiment could harm US innovation and strategic interests.
The vital role of Indian Americans in strengthening the US-India partnership took center stage during a Congressional hearing this week, where lawmakers both praised the community’s immense contributions and sharply criticized recent immigration and trade policies introduced by the Trump administration.
The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia met to assess the evolving strategic relationship, but much of the discussion focused on the people who form what many described as the “living bridge” between the two nations.
Committee Chairman Bill Huizenga opened the hearing by highlighting the broad impact of the more than five million Indian Americans living in the United States. He noted their leadership across sectors—from major corporations and the military to innovation and entrepreneurship and emphasized that this diaspora reflects shared democratic values and strong economic ties.
To reinforce this point, he submitted a letter from the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, which praised the hearing and stressed that US-India relations extend far beyond traditional diplomacy.
Expert testimony further underscored the community’s economic influence. Dhruva Jaishankar of ORF America presented data showing that Indian-origin investors, professionals, and students contribute more than $200 billion to the U.S. economy and support at least 830,000 American jobs across all 50 states and territories.
Jaishankar argued that these contributions form a critical foundation of the bilateral relationship, especially in technology, healthcare, and research.
Yet the hearing also delivered stark warnings. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove strongly criticized the administration’s new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, a category in which Indians make up roughly 70 percent of applicants.
She called the fee “a rebuke of the incredible contributions Indians have made” to America’s scientific leadership and warned that such measures severely damage people-to-people ties.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, the first Indian American woman elected to Congress, cautioned that legal immigration pathways are being “shut down.” She shared her own immigration story—from arriving as an international student to later obtaining an H-1B visa, and said many constituents are reporting rising levels of anti-Indian hate.
Jayapal warned that restrictive policies and steep tariffs could push India closer to groups like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Businesses in her state, she added, view the new tariffs as the greatest threat they have faced in more than a century.
Sameer Lalwani echoed these concerns, noting that hostility toward Indian students, technologists, and scientists could undermine America’s long-term innovative strength. Deterring these groups, he argued, would weaken the very industries that drive U.S. competitiveness.
The testimony made clear that although defense and geopolitics remain essential to the bilateral relationship, the Indian American community stands as one of its most influential—and currently one of its most vulnerable—pillars.
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