'Super racist': Elon Musk slams US's green card policy
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and globally acclaimed entrepreneur, took to his social media platform X on Saturday to voice his disapproval of the green card policy of the United States (US). He branded the policy as "super racist" for setting a 7% limit on employment-based green cards for each country. The law, which was instituted in the 1960s, has remained unaltered since its creation.
Why does this story matter?
Notably, Musk's comments come as Indian-American organizations like the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora (FIIDS) have demanded the elimination of the per-country quota on green cards. Earlier this month, Pennsylvania Congressman Matt Cartwright also echoed this demand, emphasizing the importance of immigrants in the US and saying that the country "depends on high-quality, highly skilled, and smart labor." "It's one of the natural advantages of the United States that we welcome people from all over the world," he said.
Effect of Green Card policy on immigrants
Country-specific caps have predominantly impacted many immigrants from Asian countries, especially India and China. It also resulted in significant backlogs of applicants. According to reports, over one million people are currently in limbo in different states of America due to employment-based green card backlogs. The group includes dependent spouses and children. They are the ones most affected by this policy.
Musk's comments ignite social media reactions
Musk's condemnation of the policy came in response to an X post that said, "Every month DoS [US Department of State] shamelessly publishes cut-off dates that separate Chinese and Indian born from Rest of the World." Musk remarked, "Yup, super racist". His comments ignited agreement among numerous social media users. Some users shared their personal experiences with this policy, underscoring its impact on their lives.
Read: Full post by Musk here
Know about controversial green card policy
The contentious policy in the US sets numerical limits on the distribution of green cards to individuals from certain countries each year. Of the roughly 140,000 employment-based green cards issued annually, only a maximum of 7% are allocated to individuals from any single country. This policy can lead to a backlog if the number of applicants from a specific country surpasses the 7% threshold.
