This Indian illegal-immigrant has landed himself a job in US
What's the story
21-year-old Gurkripa Singh (name changed) might be among the lucky few to have entered the US illegally, stayed in jail for less than a month, and still have landed a job! It took Gurkripa about 60 days (and over Rs. 40L) to land in the US as an illegal immigrant and a job of $10/hr in a grocery store in the US's Oregon state.
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Gurkripa's parents took loans to pay Rs. 17L to agent
Gurkripa's parents, from Haryana's Ambala, who own over 5 acres of agricultural land, took loans on the farmland and their property to pay Rs. 17L to an agent in May this year, to help him enter the US illegally through the southern Mexican border.
'Dreamland'
Gurkripa's group comprised seven other Indians
Gurkripa, who lost several kilos in the journey, said his group comprised of seven other Indians from Haryana and Punjab. From Mexico, the group was transported through multiple modes of transportation to the southern US border in Texas, where they were left by the local agent. They threw away their passports and cell-phones and jumped over a nearly five-foot wall to enter their "dreamland".
Arrest
Border patrol officers asked Gurkripa's group about SRK, Sachin
Soon Gurkripa and his group were arrested by the US border patrol officials. Neither he nor any of the members could speak English. "We were arrested immediately," he said, adding that the border patrol sleuths greeted them with Namaste and talked about Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan, indicating that the federal law enforcement agencies capture illegal Indian aliens frequently on the Texas border.
Texas Jail
Gurkripa spent only 22 days in US jail
Gurkripa's group was taken to a Texas jail. He does not remember the name of the Texas jail, except that there were some 400 Indians already in that overcrowded detention center. A few days later, he was transported to a detention center in Seattle run by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "In all, I stayed in the jail for 22 days," he said.
Cliched argument
Convinced judge of cliched argument of fearing political-persecution in India
Gurkripa said he told the judge that he flew out of India because he feared "political persecution" by Indian authorities, as he was told by his agent. His agent helped him hire an attorney who charged him Rs. 2.5L. The judge was convinced and set his release at a bond of Rs. 15L. "I was released from the Seattle jail on June-28," he said.
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Getting political asylum is still a far-fetched dream
Gurkripa's petition to get political asylum has not been approved yet. The process might take years. In the meantime, Gurkripa will get an employment authorization card, to be renewed annually, so that he can work. Soon, Gurkripa plans to apply for a worker's permit.
Job
Gurkripa's two younger sisters are yet to be married
Gurukripa got a job in Oregon, where he will be paid in cash since he does not have a worker's permit. The owner of the grocery store pays him over $10/hr (Rs. 650). He is waiting to send some money from his first salary to his parents so that they start repaying the huge loan and arrange the wedding of his two sisters.
'No jobs in India'
India's unemployment status apparently led to Gurkripa's US dream
When asked why did he come to the US like this, Gurkripa said there are no jobs in India. Little does he realize that he might not be able to visit India at least for the next several years till his asylum petition is approved. If his asylum petition is denied, he faces the risk of being deported back to India.
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Entry to India wouldn't be possible for Gurkripa
If Gurkripa gets asylum in the US, the current Indian government policy of not to give visas to those who have taken political asylum would make it nearly impossible for him to visit the country where he was born.