Trump shows sympathy for those awaiting green cards, says they'll enter US

New Delhi/ Washington: US President Donald Trump appeared to be considerate to the hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals including Indians patiently waiting for years to receive green cards, saying they have done everything perfectly and they are going to enter America.

His comments came amid tension over a caravan of an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people mostly from three Latin American countries - El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala - who are currently marching towards the southern US border of Mexico with the intention to enter the US.

As per the official estimates, more than 600,000 Indians in the US are waiting to receive green cards or legal permanent residency, which is a step short of American citizenship.

Letting illegal immigrants enter the country in thousands and then letting them take advantage of the "catch and release" policy is quite unfair to these skilled professionals, Trump said in a major policy speech, announcing that he is doing away with the "release" part of the policy.

"Mass uncontrolled immigration is especially unfair to many wonderful law-abiding immigrants already living here who followed the rules and waited their turn," he said in a policy speech on illegal immigration.

"Some have been waiting for many years. Some have been waiting for a long time. They've done everything perfectly, and they're going to come in. At some point they are going to come in. Many cases very soon. We need them to come in because we have companies coming into our country, they need workers, but they have to come in on a merit basis, and they will come in on a merit basis," Trump said.

The communities are often left to bear the cost and the influx of people that come in illegally, he said, adding that this can't be allowed.

"There's a limit to how many people a nation can responsibly absorb into their societies," he said.

The US, he said, has the largest and most expansive immigration programmes anywhere on the planet.

"We've issued 40 million green cards since 1970, which means the permanent residency and a path to citizenship for many, many people. But we will not allow our generosity to be abused by those who would break our laws, defy our rules, violate our borders, break into our country illegally. We won't allow it," he added.