H-1B visa debate fuels racism against South Asians in the US: Here’s why Indian students and professionals should pay attention

A contentious debate over the H-1B visa programme in the US is increasingly intersecting with reports of racist rhetoric targeting South Asians, particularly Indians, who form the largest group of beneficiaries under the scheme. What began as a policy dispute over jobs and wages has, in several instances, escalated into public hostility at local meetings and across online platforms.

An in-depth report by The New York Times documents how opposition to the H-1B programme has been accompanied by conspiracy theories and slurs directed at Indian communities. For Indian students and professionals who view the US as a key destination for higher education and specialised employment, the developments carry implications beyond immigration policy.


Local flashpoints and rising rhetoric
At a recent City Council meeting in Frisco, Texas, several speakers alleged that the H-1B programme had led to an “Indian takeover” of the city, as reported by The New York Times. Others described visa holders as “fraudsters” and “low-quality scammers”, language quoted by The New York Times from the public proceedings. One speaker said, “We must maintain our Rhodesia,” invoking the former white-ruled state, as quoted by The New York Times.

Frisco’s mayor, Jeff Cheney, characterised many of the speakers as “outside agitators” who did not represent most residents, according to The New York Times. The newspaper reported that while some attendees raised concerns about job losses and wages, South Asian residents spoke of fear over the tone of the debate.

How the H-1B programme works
Created in 1990, the H-1B programme allows up to 85,000 foreign workers annually to fill specialised roles in the US. The New York Times reported that in 2023, roughly three-quarters of the approximately 400,000 approved H-1B applications were for Indian nationals, citing Pew Research Center data. Dallas-Fort Worth ranked fourth among metropolitan areas for approved petitions that year.

Rules prohibit employers from paying H-1B workers less than similarly qualified US workers, though, as The New York Times noted, the effectiveness of these safeguards remains disputed. Critics have pointed to past layoffs, including the 2015 decision at Walt Disney World where technology workers were told to train H-1B replacements, as reported by The New York Times. In 2024, a federal jury found that Cognizant had intentionally discriminated against non-Indian employees for years, according to the newspaper.

US President Donald Trump has mandated a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, even while acknowledging the need for some skilled foreign workers, The New York Times reported.
Surge in hate speech and political targeting
Between January 2023 and December 2025, the use of anti-South Asian slurs in online spaces associated with targeted violence rose by 115 per cent, Stop AAPI Hate found, according to The New York Times. The Center for the Study of Organized Hate identified 280 million views for posts on X featuring anti-Indian slurs over two months last summer, the newspaper reported.

Stephanie Chan of Stop AAPI Hate said that nearly 80 per cent of anti-Asian slurs online are now directed at South Asians, as quoted by The New York Times. Political figures including Vivek Ramaswamy and Dinesh D’Souza have publicly condemned the rhetoric, with D’Souza writing, “In a career spanning 40 years, I have never encountered this type of rhetoric,” as quoted by The New York Times.

For Indian students and professionals, the newspaper’s reporting underscores how visa policy debates in the US are unfolding alongside heightened scrutiny of South Asian communities.
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