Summary:
- IAAC urged the FBI to investigate rising hate speech and violent rhetoric targeting Indians.
- Right-wing SM accounts have called for “mass violence against Indians,” the council said.
- The council also praised those defending the Indian American community.
THE INDIAN AMERICAN Advocacy Council urged the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate a rise in hate speech and violent rhetoric targeting Indians. Indian Americans fear rising online threats that advocacy leaders say could endanger lives.
With Indians holding more than 70 percent of work visas, social media has seen a rise in racist posts, with users telling Indians to “return home” and blaming them for “taking” American jobs, according to Hindustan Times.
Right-wing influencer accounts also have called for “mass violence against Indians,” according to the IAAC. The council said recent online remarks endanger Indian Americans and called on social media platforms and U.S. law enforcement to intervene before the situation worsens.
“This is not politics or edgy talk,” the council said in a social media statement. “It is incitement and puts people in danger.”
Rajeev Sharma, a founding member of the IAAC, said that turning a valid conversation into rhetoric that is “dehumanizing and, at times, genocidal” left him “deeply unsettled and frustrated.”
The IAAC praised those who defended the Indian American community, saying, “Genocidal rhetoric has no place in America,” and called for the removal of violent posts and the suspension of users who repeatedly violate the rules.
Amid higher H-1B fees, long delays and rescheduled interviews, the U.S. embassy in India issued a public warning against illegal immigration, highlighting the Trump administration’s border enforcement stance, Business Standard reported.
In a post on X, the embassy said those who break U.S. law would face “significant criminal penalties,” adding that the administration is committed to ending illegal immigration and protecting U.S. borders and citizens.
India also raised concerns with the U.S. over visa delays, citing hardship as citizens struggle to schedule or reschedule appointments.
