The High Cost of the American Dream: Indian Migrants' Perilous Journey

The Risky Journey: Indian Migrants' Costly Path to the U.S. The journey of Indian migrants to the U.S. is fraught with peril and financial strain, as highlighted in a recent PBS NewsHour report. While many Indians enter the U.S. legally, an estimated 200,000 are undocumented, often facing exorbitant fees and dangerous conditions. The report focuses on migrants from Punjab, India, a region from which several hundred deportees were recently returned on U.S. military aircraft. One migrant, Jitender Singh, shared his experience: "We gave 50 million rupees... I had to throw my turban in the dustbin. There was nothing to comb my hair." His family sold land and jewelry to pay an agent, only to see him apprehended at the border and deported. His mother, Rajinder Kaur, expressed her fear of losing their home to repay the debt. Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute at New York University Law School, provides context, stating that 81% of Indian migrants in the U.S. have at least a college degree. He describes the situation as a "supply chain of corrupt practices." The report underscores the complexities of this issue, balancing the success stories of some Indian migrants with the tragic circumstances of those who fall victim to fraudulent agents. The report concludes with a call for greater awareness and action to combat this issue.