SouthernWorldwide.com – Kris Ramsingh, a business owner in Virginia who became an American citizen in 2015 after immigrating in 2006, shared that his personal journey to becoming American has solidified his support for former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Ramsingh highlighted that, unlike those who enter the country without authorization, he was required to meet a series of federal immigration requirements before he could become a U.S. citizen.
He explained that the legal immigration process involved providing federal authorities with proof of vaccinations, personal documentation, a criminal background check, and evidence of financial stability to ensure he would not become a public charge.
“America doesn’t owe us anything,” Ramsingh stated regarding legal immigrants like himself. “Our government here doesn’t owe us anything. We have the privilege of coming into this country whether it’s on a holiday visa or for school.”
Ramsingh mentioned that the week of Independence Day also marks the anniversary of his and his wife’s arrival in the U.S. in 2006, with only $300 and a few suitcases.
“I have lived in Roanoke all of those 20 years since,” he said from his business, Dominion Custom Upholstery, located near the city’s iconic Mill Mountain Star.
As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day, Ramsingh expressed a profound sense of pride in the American flag.
He recalled living in his home country in 1990 during a coup orchestrated by Muslim insurgents, during which Prime Minister ANR Robinson was shot and officials were taken hostage.
“When we saw the red, white, and blue [of American] soldiers coming into the country, we knew we were safe. We knew at that point that America had our back. And America has had a lot of countries’ back over the years,” he commented. Having experienced such a situation firsthand, he finds it troubling when other countries seek America’s assistance but then harbor resentment after receiving help.
Ramsingh indicated that this experience significantly shaped his appreciation for the United States and its global role.
After immigrating to the United States, Ramsingh established Dominion Custom Upholstery 13 years ago and later founded another company specializing in boatworks and interior repairs.
He also recently launched Dominion Project International, a missionary organization. Through this organization, he travels to India, Africa, and the Caribbean to share the Gospel while providing clean water and medical supplies to those in need.
“The American Dream is that you can try something — you can work hard and try and if it doesn’t work out you can you can pick up and try again,” he added.
“The flag represents peace [and] hope as we’re getting ready to celebrate Saturday, the Fourth of July, and it means so much to me — it means freedom.”
Since becoming a U.S. citizen, Ramsingh has felt a distinct sense of security and pride whenever he returns from missionary trips abroad.
“There’s a sense of ‘I’m back on U.S. soil; I’m home,’” he said, regardless of whether he lands in Washington, D.C., Miami, or New York.
“That feeling is so great and it really bothers me to see Americans and foreigners coming into this country and saying that they hate America,” he stated.
“I think if you hated that much, you should just leave — there is no need for you to be here.”
When asked about criticisms that Trump is anti-immigrant, Ramsingh rejected that characterization.
“He’s not anti-immigrant. Republicans are not anti-immigrant — we just want them to go through the process of doing it legally; coming in legally.”
“During the Biden administration. When he opened that border — we’re anti-invasion, we are not anti-immigrant. That was an invasion.”
Ramsingh acknowledged that some personal stories related to deportations are difficult to witness, but he believes these situations arise from years of lenient enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
“I came from a third-world country. My missions are in third-world countries. I see how these people live. I understand why they want to come to America. I understand the ‘why’,” he said.
“I would say Trump is not against immigration. He just wants to see it done right. And again, Donald Trump and our government doesn’t owe immigrants anything. We have the privilege of being here. It’s a privilege. It’s not a right.”
