Republican Sen. Roger Marshall takes unexpected stance on Indians’ 70-year backlog of green card applications, green card cap sparks debate
Republican Senator Roger Marshall has spoken out against the long waits for green cards faced by many Indians in the United States, saying the current system is unfair. Marshall, speaking at a Capitol Hill event attended by Indian Americans, said he does not support per-country caps on green cards, which has led to some Indian applicants waiting decades to obtain permanent residency. His comments came as some Republicans called for tighter immigration policies, including calling for a permanent moratorium on H-1B visas for Indians.
Roger Marshall says green card cap unfair to Indians
The Kansas senator made the remarks at an event organized by the India Foundation Indian Diaspora Studies. Marshall said the current green card system punishes people because of where they were born, not what they did.
“We tell the hardest-working immigrants in the world that this line has been 70 years old. Not because of anything you did, but because so many of you came from the same place,” Marshall said.
He described per-country green card restrictions as “one of the greatest injustices” in the United States and said he would continue to raise the issue through legal and practical efforts.
According to current U.S. law, the proportion of family-sponsored and employment-based green cards issued by any country each year cannot exceed 7%. Since applications from India have exceeded this limit for years, there has been a huge backlog.
For many Indian professionals, the wait is excruciatingly long. In certain employment categories, Indians who receive green cards in 2026 typically began applying for green cards more than a decade ago, around 2013 or 2014.
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Roger Marshall praises Indian Americans and their contributions
Marshall also highlighted the economic contributions of Indian Americans. The community makes up about 1.5% of the total population, he said. us population, but contribute a much larger share of federal income taxes.
“Every time someone in Washington questions whether legal immigration works, you are the answer,” Marshall said. “You’re not arguing, you’re the answer.”
The senator also spoke positively of US-India relations, saying both countries benefit when the partnership becomes stronger.
“When this relationship works, both countries benefit. American farmers benefit, Indian consumers benefit, and the strategic balance in the 21st century tilts toward democracy and away from authoritarianism,” he said.
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oft-cited 70 years green card Wait times are based on projections of the number of people entering the queue today, if current rules remain in place and the number of applications continues to increase. Immigration experts note, however, that wait times may change.
Some applicants drop out of the process, return to India, or enter a different immigration category, which could impact the backlog over time.
