logo
America Pivots Again On Immigrants

America Pivots Again On Immigrants

Time of India25-07-2025
America Pivots Again On Immigrants
Dan Cassino
Jul 25, 2025, 21:34 IST IST
Trump's immigration raids are changing public opinion. Recent polls show support has come down to 20%. And 25% US adults now worry that they or someone close to them could be deported
Those days are over, Trump said this week – warning American tech giants against hiring workers in India. He did come into office with promises of a crackdown on immigration, but undocumented immigration. Even on that signature policy, public opinion has now decisively soured. Similarly, companies tapping into Indian talent and skill sets would hardly accept his threats passively.
In recent polls, only 20-30% of the public support his major immigration initiatives – like rounding up undocumented immigrants without criminal records, building huge internment camps, deporting people to countries like El Salvador and South Sudan without any judicial process.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tariff war will worsen economy more than COVID-19 pandemic: Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal
Tariff war will worsen economy more than COVID-19 pandemic: Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal

The Hindu

time8 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Tariff war will worsen economy more than COVID-19 pandemic: Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal

Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal has warned that Kerala needs to prepare well to tackle the 'tariff war' looming over the economy, propelled by the recent tariff policies of the United States and other global players. Mr. Balagopal was speaking after inaugurating a two-day seminar 'Post-COVID Development Challenges and Response: Kerala through the lens of State budgets' organized by the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT) in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (August 5, 2025). 'It has to be examined how these policies impact the Indian economy and specifically Kerala, whose exports cover multiple sectors,' he said. The Finance Minister suggested that the academic community organise a roundtable discussion on the implications of these policies for India and Kerala to generate clarity on what lies ahead for the economy. 'Dangerous situation' ahead Mr. Balagopal said he perceived a 'dangerous situation' ahead, referring to recent demands that 'India should reduce its tariffs.' 'The tariff war looming over us will worsen our economy further,' he said, adding that the influx of imports at low tariffs would create an economic situation 'much worse than the COVID-19 pandemic.' M.A. Oommen, eminent economist and Distinguished Professor at GIFT who chaired the session, underscored the need for Kerala to focus on the protection and conservation of its rich biodiversity, tackle the spectre of corruption and nurture the public sector enterprises. Mr. Oommen lauded Mr. Balagopal for an 'excellent linear programming exercise' in steering Kerala's economy through a period of fiscal stress. Pointing out that major challenges lay ahead for the economy in the years ahead, he urged Left democratic forces to rise up to the occasion. C. Balagopal, chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), said current policies and public finance constraints should be understood within the framework of whether government policies are promoting the growth of value addition in sectors, and what needs to be done to generate more value addition in them. 'How the sectoral distribution of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) and the State meeting total factor productivity (TFP) are pertinent questions,' he said. Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K.R. Jyothilal, GIFT director K.J. Joseph and GIFT registrar Saraf A. also spoke. Senior economists and planning experts are attending the seminar which focusses on development issues that Kerala has been facing since the pandemic.

Supported by Brics, like-minded allies: Russia amid Trump's tariff threats
Supported by Brics, like-minded allies: Russia amid Trump's tariff threats

Business Standard

time8 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Supported by Brics, like-minded allies: Russia amid Trump's tariff threats

Russia on Monday (local time) said the country is supported by a vast number of partners, like-minded states, and allies amid tariff wars or sanction threats by US President Donald Trump. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made these remarks in response to a media question regarding the tightening of tariffs by the Trump administration towards the countries of the Global South. Zakharova noted, "Sanctions and restrictions have, unfortunately, become a defining feature of the current historical period, impacting countries across the globe." She further added that Washington is unable to accept the erosion of its dominance in an emerging multipolar international order and is continuing to pursue a neocolonial agenda, employing politically motivated economic pressure against those who choose an independent course on the international stage. Remarks from Russia's foreign ministry come days after Trump announced sweeping new tariff rates on dozens of countries, including India. On August 1, Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, adding that the latter would also have to pay a penalty for its continued trade with Russia amid Moscow's ongoing war with Kyiv, which has now entered the fourth year. Zakharova also added, "Such actions by the United States represent a direct infringement on the sovereignty of other nations and an attempt to interfere in their internal affairs. Beyond these concerns, this policy risks slowing global economic growth, disrupting supply chains, and deepening the fragmentation of the international economic system." Russia exits the INF Treaty with the US Russia also announced its exit from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with America. Russia's foreign ministry stated that it believes that the conditions required to maintain the INF Treaty have "disappeared." The exit from the treaty came days after Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines to "be positioned in the appropriate regions" near Russia. Trump's order to deploy the nuclear submarines came after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev accused Trump of playing a "game of ultimatums" with Moscow. US-India trade ties strained Amid the ongoing global tensions, the US has also accused India of its continuous trade with Russia. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country. Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST." In a separate post, he doubled down on both India and Russia and said, "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India; their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world." India counters Trump's claims The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) criticised Trump's "dead economy" remark, reminding the US that when India started importing oil from Russia at the outbreak of the conflict, Washington encouraged such trade. Calling Trump's statements "unjustified and unreasonable', India defended its oil imports from Russia, saying they were driven by national necessity and were far smaller in scale compared to the West's energy purchases.

India struggles to engage Trump admin as key US roles remain vacant
India struggles to engage Trump admin as key US roles remain vacant

Business Standard

time8 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

India struggles to engage Trump admin as key US roles remain vacant

It's become urgent for New Delhi to make its case to Washington after being unexpectedly slapped with a 25% tariff, one of the highest in the region, facing further threats over its ties with Russia Bloomberg Indian officials have struggled to engage with President Donald Trump's administration because key foreign policy roles in Washington remain unfilled, people familiar with the matter said, making it difficult for New Delhi to effectively push for a favorable trade deal. Several positions in the Department of State and the Department of Defense are vacant, which has made it harder for India to lobby its view, the people said, asking not to be identified to discuss a sensitive matter. It's become urgent for New Delhi to make its case to Washington after being unexpectedly slapped with a 25 per cent tariff — one of the highest in the region — and facing further threats over its ties with Russia. Trump said Monday he'll increase the rate 'substantially' because of New Delhi's refusal to halt buying of Russian oil. The US says India, alongside China, is helping President Vladimir Putin fund his war against Ukraine with the oil purchases. New Delhi defended its position Monday, saying criticism from the US and European Union about the Asian nation's trade with Russia was 'unjustified and unreasonable.' It highlighted that the EU and US continue to buy energy and other materials from Russia when 'such trade is not even a national compulsion.' The steep tariff adds to already strained ties, with Trump repeatedly claiming he used trade as leverage to broker peace between India and rival Pakistan in May — an assertion New Delhi has strongly denied. One of the most critical vacancies is the Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs — a role that oversees US foreign policy and relations in the region. Although Indian-American academic Paul Kapur was nominated for the role by Trump, his appointment has yet to be confirmed. The post of US Ambassador to India — a key role in managing bilateral tensions — has remained vacant since January 2025, with career diplomats currently running the New Delhi embassy. Eric Garcetti, former President Joe Biden's representative to India, was confirmed only after a two-year delay, but strong personal ties between key officials on both sides helped bridge the gap at the time, the people said. India's Ministry of External Affairs didn't comment when contacted for further information. The US Embassy in New Delhi didn't immediately respond to an email seeking further information. The sharp downsizing of the US National Security Council — from over 300 officials under Biden to around 50 under Trump's second term — has further compounded the challenges, the people added. The White House pushed out scores of NSC staffers in May as officials sought to transform the council into a smaller organization focused on implementing Trump's policies instead of helping to shape them.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store