"I hear all the time that someone, friend of a friend, is leaving because he was not able to get a job," offered Satish Babu.
Babu runs an online community for Triangle South Asians. He said 15 people at his Triangle employer alone were recently dealt a blow.
"All those 15 people, they had to go back. They had to go back. They had to pack their bags within five days and then leave. In this case it was not a big problem because they were here in their company's guest house or in the hotels. So it was easier for them to leave. But again, they were here thinking that their assignments are going to be six months or one year and it was cut short," he said.
But some aren't so lucky. Recent IBM and other tech job layoffs have left some - like one of Babu's friends - wiped out.
"He needs to sell his house, car, and all these things. He needs to go back empty-handed to India and it's going to be a very tough situation when he goes back to India and has to explain it to his parents," said Babu.
And for some, the American dream is now back out of reach.
"When you set out to America, you have a big dream. It's like anybody comes here to earn money and settle down and live a good life and now that dream is lost," said Babu.
