US pollster Mark Mitchell vows to ‘de-Indianise’ American firms: ‘Every single H-1B equals 10 illegal aliens’

US pollster Mark Mitchell pledges to ‘de-Indianise’ American companies: ‘Every single H-1B equals 10 illegal aliens’

Mark Mitchell, the CEO of Rasmussen Reports and a prominent right-leaning pollster, has escalated his criticism of Indian professionals working in the United States, calling for mass deportations of senior H-1B visa holders and proposing a consultancy aimed at “de-Indianising” major American corporations.

Mitchell, a frequent guest on Steve Bannon’s War Room, has repeatedly argued that Indian tech workers are replacing American employees at lower cost. In his latest remarks, he claimed that each senior H-1B developer at firms like Apple represents “the economic equivalent of 10 illegal aliens,” adding that their removal should be a priority.

“Every single H-1B, you know, senior developer at Apple that we send back, that's the equivalent economically probably of deporting 10 illegal aliens,” he said during an appearance on Real America’s Voice News.

MITCHELL: For every H1B senior dev at Apple we send back, it’s the economic equivalent of deporting 10 illegal aliens. Silicon Valley’s workforce is 2/3 foreign born, whole buildings 85-95% Indian nationals. These golden pathways let companies replace older American engineers… pic.twitter.com/4P8kSAnzDY

— Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) December 8, 2025

On X, Mitchell said he was prepared to launch a consultancy dedicated to reducing the presence of Indian professionals in US firms. “I have never in my life wanted anything more than this: To build a new corporate consultancy helping major firms de-Indianize,” he posted, later declaring he would “work until I drop dead” to achieve that mission.

The pollster argued that US tech companies rely heavily on foreign engineers as cheaper substitutes for Americans. He claimed that an H-1B developer earning around $90,000 annually is treated by employers as equivalent to ten undocumented workers earning $9 an hour.

According to him, two-thirds of Silicon Valley’s workforce is foreign-born, with Indian nationals disproportionately represented. “Walmart had engineering buildings that had 85-95% Indian nationals. They come in on these golden pathways, and they take these jobs,” he said.

Mitchell described foreign engineers as coming from a “bottomless well” and referred to them as “third-world engineers,” alleging that American workers are often forced to train their replacements. “People like me who have a family who are a little more expensive, maybe have gotten a few raises… really easy to replace me and train my replacement,” he said.

His comments intensified after a fresh wave of anti-immigration rhetoric from the MAGA faction, which continues to push for restrictions on the H-1B programme. Indians receive more than 70% of the annual 85,000 H-1B slots, making them the most affected group.

While Mitchell’s statements triggered backlash online, they also prompted widespread discussion about what “de-Indianise” means. The term, rarely used in policy circles, broadly implies reducing Indian cultural or professional influence. By extension, it suggests the removal or reduction of Indian workers or practices from US organisations.

Mitchell’s influence stems from his role at Rasmussen Reports, a major polling firm known for its daily political tracking surveys. The company has been recognised for accurately projecting trends in past election cycles, although critics have accused it of right-leaning bias.

Responding to Mitchell’s posts, some commentators accused him of scapegoating one of the most successful immigrant groups in the US. “When you reach the point that the most-educated, most taxpaying, lowest violent crime, zero single mothers group is the one you hate the most, it is pretty clear that YOU are the personification of America's present-day dysfunction," wrote Kartik Gada, a tech and finance executive.

Industry data shows that 66% of Silicon Valley’s workforce is foreign-born, with Indian nationals comprising 23% and Chinese nationals 18%. However, H-1B workers make up only about 0.3–0.4% of America’s total labour force.