Anger is simmering across India as U.S. trade policies as well as the proposed visa policies continue to hit the professionals and the others. Indian ministers, refusing to remain silent, have mounted an unusually forceful pushback, warning of retaliatory measures.
Indian minister Sanjay Raut, member of parliament of Shiv Sena (UBT) party, joined the chorus of outrage, unleashing a blistering critique of the United States over its recent proposal to limit student visa durations. Warning that India should respond with equal force, Raut provocatively suggested sending Americans “back in shackles,” underscoring the intensity of the backlash against what many in New Delhi see as yet another affront to Indian interests.
“[Indian Prime Minister] Modi should send people from the U.S. living in India back to their country in shackles,” Raut said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
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Raut’s outburst comes amid a highly controversial move by the Trump administration, which sought to sharply curtail visa durations for international students, a policy widely seen in India as targeting the country’s bright young talent and fueling rising tensions between the two nations. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had introduced the draft rule earlier this week.
The proposed rules by DHS aim to cap the stay of student visa holders in the U.S. at four years or the length of their academic program, whichever comes first. Any extension beyond this limit would require students to submit a formal application for an Extension of Stay (EOS) directly to the department.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated in its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that the DHS intends to revise regulations so that F, J, and I visa holders are allowed entry for a fixed duration, rather than indefinitely, even if they maintain compliance with their visa conditions. The department cited oversight and national security concerns as the rationale behind the proposed changes.
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The DHS emphasized that the existing system, which permits admission for the “duration of status” without a set end date, “does not afford immigration officers enough predetermined opportunities to directly verify that aliens are engaging only in authorized activities.”
The DHS stated that the revisions would enable immigration officers to “periodically and directly assess whether nonimmigrants are complying with the conditions of their classifications and U.S. immigration laws.”
While the DHS frames the updated visa policies as a measure to tighten oversight, critics warn they could have unintended consequences for American students as well. By imposing stricter limits on international students, the U.S. risks provoking similar retaliatory actions from other countries, making it harder for Americans to study abroad. What is intended as a security-focused policy could end up isolating U.S. students from global opportunities, disrupting exchange programs, and reducing cultural and academic collaboration. In trying to control who comes in, Washington may inadvertently restrict the mobility of its own citizens.