BENGALURU: A Democratic majority in Congress may shift the tone of the US immigration debate, but it is unlikely to bring immediate policy relief for Indian technology professionals or employers.Experts believe a Democratic victory could help temper anti-immigrant sentiment and the political rhetoric targeting Indian technology professionals, creating a more favourable environment for skilled immigration and potentially laying the groundwork for policy changes in the longer term.Stephen Yale-Loehr, retired professor of immigration law practice at Cornell Law School, said a change in congressional control would not immediately translate into immigration reform.“President Trump is still president, and he controls the immigration agencies. Even if the Democrats pass positive immigration laws, President Trump can veto them. However, the Democrats can hold hearings and investigations to try to persuade the US public that immigration benefits, not hurts, the country. That way they will lay the groundwork for possible true immigration reform in 2029, assuming the Democrats control Congress then and there is a Democratic president then,” he said.David J Bier, director of Immigration Studies at Cato Institute, echoed this assessment, saying the election outcome would have almost no immediate impact on immigration policy. “It will have almost no immediate effect because Republicans still have enough votes to block most immigration bills in the Senate, and even if they didn’t, Trump would veto bills that block his agenda,” he said.
