A Democrat in Michigan, originally from India, has accused America of being “racist” amid public debate over the controversial H-1B visa program that undercuts American workers. Michigan Representative Shri Thanedar, hailing from Belgaum, Karnataka, in India, asserts that the United States is experiencing significant “Hinduphobia” and has sponsored a congressional resolution to address the supposed issue.
On December 30, Thanedar took to X, stating, “Racism in America is still alive and well, and we must stand up to it together.” He claimed derogatory comments directed at Indian Americans in discussions about the H-1B program as evidence of this rhetoric. In response, he unveiled a bipartisan resolution condemning Hinduphobia.
Thanedar has also called for a major expansion of the H-1B program. He wrote on X advocating to “increase H1B tenfold and eliminate country quotas,” suggesting measures to streamline immigration checks and enhance the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) staffing to quicken legal immigration processes.
Indians are by far the nationality that benefits the most from H-1B visas, with 72 percent of all H-1B visas being given to Indian nationals in 2023. Tech giants make up the majority of companies that use the H-1B visa program, and tech billionaires like Elon Musk recently advocated for bringing in more migrants through the program.
Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company, laid off around 15,000 American workers in April last year and used H-1B visa migrants to fill many positions. President-elect Donald J. Trump has received pushback from supporters on the program as well, with some reporting they have lost jobs to Indian replacements on H-1B visas.
