Marco Rubio Says New US Immigration Rules Not Aimed At India, Despite Green Card Fears

2026-05-24 02:26:31

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The recent change in US immigration rules - which reportedly will make it difficult for hundreds of thousands of Indians living in America waiting for green cards - is not targeted at India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a news conference in New Delhi on Sunday.

"It is not a system that is targeted at India and is being applied globally,” said Rubio. We are in a period of transition, and there's going to be some bumps on that road.”

Recommended For You Iran weighs peace proposal, accuses US of 'excessive demands'

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS ) announced on Friday that foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the US to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country via the State Department.

"An alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply," said the US Department of Homeland Security, which has oversight of USCIS.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Referring to the 'modernisation' of the US immigration system, Rubio said there was“a migratory crisis' in America.“This is not because of India, but broadly, we have had over 20 million people illegally enter the United States over the last few years, and we've had to address that challenge."

Rubio said he was hopeful that the system would emerge as beneficial to Indians in due course, once President Donald Trump 'modernised' it. "Once we are complete and done the work of modernising that system, I think we're going to come up with a system that will be more efficient and even better than the previous one, and in some ways may prove to be even more beneficial to people from India who seek to enter the United States to work and innovate," he noted.

Dumb comments

Asked about online racist comments against Indian Americans, Rubio said he is seriously concerned about it.“Every country in the world has stupid people, who make dumb comments all the time,” he said.“The US is a very welcoming country, which has been enriched by people who came from all over the world.”

India's external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said he had discussed with Rubio the challenges that legitimate travellers faced while trying to get a visa to the US.“I apprised Rubio of challenges that legitimate travellers face in respect to visa issuance,” said Jaishankar.

While we cooperate to deal with illegal and irregular mobility, our expectation is that legal mobility would not be adversely impacted as a consequence. After all, this is very relevant to our business, technology and research cooperation," he added.

Rubio is on four-day visit to India and will be at the Quad Foreign Minister's meeting to be held on Tuesday. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will also be present at the meet.

(with reports from Reuters)