In a show of solidarity with the Deferred Action Legal Childhood Arrivals (DALCA) kids who are facing extradition, President Joe Biden invited three Indian Americans to his Diwali reception.
Thanking the President for the gesture, the three young Indian Americans who have aged out of their parent’s visa or legal status and face extradition said they were “delighted to join” the President and the Vice President at the White House.
“We were honored to be with the President and Vice President among many Indian American leaders for this Diwali celebration. We hope that light will come for all of us by the end of the year through a solution to end aging-out for all children of long-term visa holders,” one Dip Patel said.
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Founder of ‘Improve The Dream’, which has been fighting on behalf of the aged-out kids numbering over 200,000, a majority of whom are Indian Americans, Patel said about 2,00,000 young immigrants are in the US as dependents of their parents on temporary work visas. This is because of the outdated laws of the country.
He and two of his colleagues at ‘Improve the Dream’ were invited by Biden and the First Lady to attend the Diwali reception at the White House on Monday.
“Diwali has always been a cherished festival for me and my family. I am so honored to be able to advocate on behalf of ‘Improve The Dream’ and help bring light to our cause. It was a surreal feeling meeting South Asian trailblazers at the White House to celebrate the festival of lights that is so close to our hearts,” said Pareen Mhatre.
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“We feel honored to have been recognized and invited by President Biden and his administration to this year’s magnificent Diwali celebration. Our presence here shows that the President and the administration have heard our stories and they care,” said Athulya Rajakumar.
