Before Indian immigrants were viewed as valuable contributors to American society, they were once deemed "aliens ineligible for citizenship." For decades, immigrants from India faced severe legal discrimination. They were denied the right to naturalize as U.S. citizens, trapped in a land where they could work but never fully belong.
The notion that these individuals—many of whom were hardworking farmers, scholars, and laborers—could become American citizens was unthinkable. This blatant exclusion reflects a grim period of U.S. history where racial biases were codified into law.
Fast forward to today, and while the context has changed, the feelings of exclusion and uncertainty remain. Hundreds of thousands of highly skilled Indian immigrants, stuck in the green card backlog, face a modern-day version of this injustice.
They live and work in the United States, often for decades, but are unable to secure the permanence and stability of U.S. citizenship. The broken system continues to make them feel like outsiders in the country they help build.
This is why America urgently needs a new Dalip Singh Saund—someone who understands the immigrant experience intimately, someone who can break through the bureaucracy, and someone who can reform the system to be fair for all.
Who Was Dalip Singh Saund?
Dalip Singh Saund's story is one of resilience and defying the odds, especially given the discriminatory laws that once affected Indian immigrants like him.
Born in Punjab, India, in 1899, Saund arrived in the U.S. to pursue education, earning a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. But despite his academic achievements, he faced the harsh reality that Indians were classified as “aliens ineligible for citizenship.”
Indians like Saund were unable to naturalize, meaning they could live and contribute to society but would always be outsiders, unable to enjoy the full rights and privileges of U.S. citizenship.
That began to change in 1946 with the Luce-Celler Act, which finally allowed Indian nationals to naturalize and become citizens. This law, co-sponsored by Republican Clare Boothe Luce and Democrat Emanuel Celler, granted Indian immigrants the right to citizenship and provided an annual immigration quota of 100 Indians.
It was a monumental step forward, symbolizing a break in the racial barriers that had plagued American immigration policy for decades.
Dalip Singh Saund was one of the first to benefit from this law, naturalizing and later making history as the first Asian American elected to the U.S. Congress in 1956.
Once elected, Saund worked to fight the kind of discrimination he had faced firsthand. His time in Congress was marked by his dedication to civil rights and the immigrant cause, proving that once given the chance, immigrants could contribute not just economically but politically and culturally.
His legacy is a testament to the power of perseverance and the ability to challenge unjust systems.
Yet, today, millions of immigrants, particularly from India, find themselves in a similar situation: stuck in a system that prevents them from fully integrating into American society.
Though they are eligible for green cards and have lived here for years, they face decades-long waits due to an outdated immigration system.
The Green Card Backlog: A Crisis in Need of a Hero
America’s employment-based immigration system is broken, particularly for skilled workers from India. The green card backlog for Indian nationals has swelled to over a million people.
These individuals work in essential sectors like technology, medicine, and engineering, but their contributions are not enough to overcome the bureaucratic bottleneck they face.
Due to the outdated per-country cap system, which limits the number of green cards issued to any one country to 7% of the total, Indians in particular suffer.
Despite their large numbers and essential contributions to the U.S. economy, they face disproportionately long wait times, sometimes spanning decades.
Many live in limbo, unable to fully commit to their futures in the U.S., despite having spent years, even decades, working here.
Why Dalip Singh Saund's Spirit Is Needed
1. A Leader Who Understands the Pain of Immigration Struggles
Dalip Singh Saund knew the struggles of being an immigrant excluded from the system, just as those in the green card backlog know the pain of living in limbo.
He personally experienced the harsh realities of discriminatory policies that kept Indian immigrants from becoming citizens. Similarly, the United States needs someone who has firsthand experience with the green card backlog—someone who has endured the seemingly endless wait, who has felt the anxiety of uncertain status, and who has triumphed over it to become a citizen.
It’s not just about securing citizenship, though. This leader needs to channel their personal struggles into political action, following in Saund’s footsteps.
Saund fought for the very rights he was once denied, and America now needs someone who has navigated the green card system, experienced its pitfalls, and emerged determined to fix it for future generations.
Unfortunately, many individuals, once they obtain their green cards and citizenship, lose sight of the struggles they endured.
They get caught up in their careers and daily lives, and the fight for reform fades into the background. But what the system needs is someone who, after achieving citizenship, steps into a political role and strategically fights for those still stuck in the backlog.
The pain of the green card backlog should not be forgotten but used as fuel to drive meaningful change.
2. A Voice for the Voiceless
Like Saund, who spoke out for immigrants when they were a marginalized group in the political landscape, we need a leader who can raise their voice for the Indian nationals trapped in the green card backlog.
Saund’s election to Congress was groundbreaking not just because of his identity, but because he was a tireless advocate for immigrant rights.
The people stuck in the green card backlog need a leader who can articulate their struggles to lawmakers, media, and the public at large—someone who will keep their issues at the forefront of political conversations.
3. A Courageous Reformer
Saund was a man who didn’t shy away from difficult battles. He fought against racial prejudice and discriminatory laws, despite knowing how deeply embedded those biases were in the system.
America needs someone with that same courage today—someone willing to challenge the outdated immigration laws that create backlogs and keep talented, hardworking people from fully participating in American life.
Whether it’s eliminating the per-country caps, increasing the number of employment-based green cards, or clearing the existing backlog, this leader must push for reforms even when the political climate is resistant to change.
4. A Bridge Builder
In a highly polarized political landscape, change cannot happen without building coalitions. Saund understood the value of collaboration, working across party lines to achieve meaningful reform.
Today’s immigration system needs a leader who can do the same. Someone who can rally not just the immigrant community, but lawmakers, businesses, and the public to recognize the necessity of immigration reform. Immigration should not be viewed as a divisive issue but as one that strengthens the country.
5. A Humanitarian Focus
Above all, Dalip Singh Saund never lost sight of the human beings behind the policies he was fighting for. He knew that immigration reform wasn’t just about laws and quotas; it was about real people and their families.
The green card backlog isn’t just a bureaucratic issue—it’s a human crisis. Thousands of families live in a constant state of uncertainty, and many children of green card applicants age out of their parents’ applications, leaving them in legal limbo.
A leader like Saund would remind us of the moral and humanitarian urgency of fixing the system.
Conclusion: A New Dalip Singh Saund for Today
America’s immigration system, particularly for Indian nationals, is in desperate need of reform. With wait times for green cards stretching into decades, the dream of citizenship is slipping further and further away for many.
The U.S. must do better, not just for the economy, but for the people whose lives are trapped in uncertainty.
Dalip Singh Saund’s legacy shows us that change is possible, but it requires bold leadership. We need someone who has lived the experience of navigating the green card backlog, who understands the pain and frustration of being stuck in the system, and who is willing to fight for those who are still struggling.
Like Saund, this leader must take that personal struggle and turn it into political action—becoming a voice for the voiceless, a bridge builder, and a courageous reformer.
America needs another Dalip Singh Saund, someone who will not forget the fight, but instead use it as a driving force to push for the reforms that are long overdue.
The green card backlog is not just a policy issue—it’s a human issue, and we need leaders who will fight for the rights and dignity of those still waiting for their chance to fully realize the American Dream. The time for action is now, and we need bold leadership to make it happen.