Why anti-Indian sentiment is rising among far-right groups in US

Some Indian American conservatives appeared startled by the backlash. CNN quoted Ramaswamy urging Republicans after election night losses to “cut out the identity politics,” insisting: “We don’t care about the colour of your skin or your religion. We care about the content of your character.” Right-wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza, responding to an X user who said Indians disgusted them, told CNN he had not seen such rhetoric in decades: “The Right never used to talk like this. So who on our side has legitimized this type of vile degradation?”

A long-simmering strain of bigotry now in the open

According to CNN, this rhetoric is not new but has become increasingly visible as fringe figures gain influence and as President Donald Trump cracks down aggressively on immigration. Some members of the MAGA base are now openly asserting that only white Christians belong in America.

“The call is coming from inside the house,” said Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, speaking to CNN about anti-Indian hate speech online.

Researchers at the Center for the Study of Organized Hate told CNN they have tracked a surge in anti-Indian content on X. Raqib Naik, the centre’s founder, said the group documented nearly 2,700 posts promoting xenophobia against Indians and Indian Americans in October alone. CNN noted that Elon Musk’s leadership of X has enabled racist content that previously would have been moderated, although the company did not respond to their request for comment.

The hostility escalates whenever India or Indians become part of US political discourse — from Trump appointing tech executive Sriram Krishnan as a senior AI adviser to online debates over the US-India trade relationship.

H-1B visas emerge as a central flashpoint

CNN reports that anti-Indian bigotry most consistently revolves around the H-1B visa programme, which admits highly skilled foreign workers and is predominantly used by Indian nationals. Figures on the Trump-aligned right have attacked the programme, with former deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller accusing India of “a lot of cheating on immigration policies.”

Trump has sent mixed signals over the years, but CNN notes that he recently imposed a $100,000 application fee, further igniting far-right hostility.

Online accounts routinely cast Indian immigrants as job-stealing scammers, accuse them of insular hiring practices and weaponise tropes portraying Indians as unclean or culturally backward. CNN cited a recent example from the New York City mayoral race, where an AI-generated attack ad depicting Assembly member Zohran Mamdani eating rice with his hands was posted — then quickly withdrawn.

Slurs originating on unmoderated platforms such as 4chan are now entering mainstream discourse, CNN reported. Selectively edited videos of Indians in public places are circulated as proof of an “invasion,” echoing white replacement theory.

This hostility draws from long-standing white nationalist influences. CNN notes that influential Trump advisers, including Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, have referenced The Camp of the Saints, a 1970s novel in which Indian migrants overrun Western civilisation.

Resentment intersects with Indian American success

Rohit Chopra, a Santa Clara University professor who co-authored reports for the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, told CNN that Indian Americans’ socioeconomic visibility makes them convenient targets. Indians are among the highest-earning ethnic groups in the US, according to Pew data cited by CNN, and they occupy influential positions in technology, business, academia and government.

But this “model minority” perception masks a highly diverse community including the undocumented, low-income workers and international students. Chopra warned CNN that resentment could escalate into real-world violence.

Bigotry spills into physical spaces

CNN documented several recent incidents reflecting offline hostility. A Palm Bay, Florida, councilmember repeatedly denigrated Indians and called for mass deportation. In Irving, Texas, three masked men staged a roadside demonstration with signs declaring “Don’t India My Texas” and “Reject Foreign Demons.”

Stop AAPI Hate shared reports with CNN describing harassment inspired by anti-immigrant rhetoric. A woman in Georgia was threatened with an ICE call. In Texas, another woman and her colleague were told: “I am glad Trump is deporting you b*tches.” CNN also reported the case of Salil Maniktahla in Virginia, who was verbally abused by a man invoking Trump’s presidency and telling him to “go home” and “do Bharatanatyam.”

Muted political response from the top

Asked about backlash to Diwali posts, White House spokesman Kush Desai told CNN: “The President is a fierce defender of religious liberty and cherishes his deep and longstanding relationship with this patriotic community.”

CNN noted that Trump and Vice President JD Vance have not directly condemned anti-Indian rhetoric. Vance dismissed the “normalize Indian hate” remark by a government staffer as youthful impulsiveness.

Vance has also advanced ideas rooted in cultural exclusion. In a July speech cited by CNN, he said: “I think the people whose ancestors fought in the Civil War have a hell of a lot more claim over America than the people who say they don’t belong.”

A wake-up call for the community

At a White House Diwali event, Patel referred pointedly to being a “first-generation Indian American whose parents lawfully immigrated to this country.” But as CNN observed, that distinction did little to dissuade online attacks.

Chopra told CNN the moment should be a reckoning: “This should serve as a kind of wake-up call — that racism that’s directed at people of colour and minority groups, you are not exempt from.”