Highlights:
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Lawmakers described Indian-Americans as a “living bridge” supporting US–India ties.
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Experts cited more than $200 billion in economic contributions and 830,000 US jobs tied to Indian-origin professionals, students, and investors.
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The new $100,000 H-1B fee drew strong criticism, with lawmakers calling it a direct blow to Indians.
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Immigration restrictions and higher tariffs raised concerns about weakening bilateral goodwill.
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Witnesses warned Congress that growing anti-Indian sentiment could harm US innovation and strategic competitiveness.
A Congressional hearing this week placed major attention on the role Indian-Americans play in the United States economy, workforce, and foreign policy environment. Lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia emphasized that Indian-Americans are driving critical people-to-people links even as new visa fees, shifting immigration rules, and tariff increases trigger bipartisan concern.
Committee Chairman Bill Huizenga opened the session by outlining the broad impact of the more than five million Indian-Americans living across the United States. He noted the growing leadership of Indian-Americans in large corporations, the military, research institutions, and the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Huizenga underscored that the community’s progress reflects shared democratic values and longstanding economic ties between the United States and India.
He also entered into the record a statement from the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, which commended the committee for convening the hearing and stressed that the US–India relationship extends well beyond government diplomacy. The submission described Indian-Americans as a workforce and innovation engine shaping economic connections across both countries.
Indian-Americans and Their Economic Contributions Highlighted
Dhruva Jaishankar of ORF America presented detailed data to the committee showing that Indian-origin investors, students, and skilled workers contribute more than $200 billion to the US economy while supporting at least 830,000 American jobs across all 50 states and US territories. His testimony reinforced that Indian-Americans form a core economic pillar of the bilateral relationship.
Jaishankar said that the technology, healthcare, and research sectors are especially strengthened by Indian-origin professionals. He argued that these contributions are not only measurable but essential to maintaining the foundation of US–India cooperation.
Indian-Americans at Risk Under New Visa Fees and Restrictions
The hearing also included pointed criticism of new policy measures introduced by the Trump administration. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove expressed concern about the administration’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, a category in which Indians make up about 70 percent of applicants.
Calling the new fee “a rebuke of the incredible contributions Indians have made”, she warned that this move could damage scientific leadership and strain the people-to-people ties at the core of US–India relations.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, the first Indian American woman elected to Congress, told the committee that legal immigration channels for Indian-Americans are being narrowed significantly. She shared her own experience arriving as an international student and later securing an H-1B visa. Jayapal said many of her constituents are reporting increasing levels of anti-Indian hate.
She warned that steep tariffs and restrictive policies could push India toward groups such as BRICS or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Businesses in her state, she said, view these rising tariffs as the largest threat they have encountered in more than a century.
Indian-Americans and US Innovation: Strategic Risks Identified
Witness Sameer Lalwani raised additional concerns, noting that if Indian students, technologists, and scientists face hostility or barriers, the effects could undercut America’s long-term innovation capabilities. He argued that discouraging Indian-Americans from studying, working, and collaborating in the United States would weaken industries that form the backbone of US competitiveness.
According to Lalwani, the stability of the US–India relationship depends not only on defense and geopolitical alignment but also on continuing people-level exchanges. Indian-Americans, he said, have played a central role in sustaining this partnership and remain among its most influential contributors.
Indian-Americans Recognized as a Key but Vulnerable Community in Bilateral Relations
The hearing made clear that Indian-Americans hold a central position in the US–India partnership. However, experts and lawmakers warned that visa policies, tariffs, and rising anti-Indian sentiment are creating new pressures that could erode decades of progress.
While defense and geopolitics form an important layer of US–India cooperation, the testimony emphasized that Indian-Americans are the community most closely connecting the two countries. Lawmakers urged a review of recent policies to ensure that Indian-Americans continue to strengthen US economic, strategic, and innovation interests.
