A Republican politician's social media post appearing to target Indian and South Asian students in Texas has caused a firestorm of criticism over alleged racism. Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, on Sunday (Sep 13) posted a photo of University of Texas students celebrating a sports victory, with a caption that appeared provocative to some people. The photo mostly showed non-white students celebrating the Longhorns’ win over Ohio State the previous night.&nbsp;<h2>What Bo French said in his now-controversial post</h2>“I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” French wrote in the post along with the photo. Referring to the celebration in the stands, French also remarked that it showed “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners”.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined. <a href="https://t.co/Ys1bql0y4U">pic.twitter.com/Ys1bql0y4U</a>&mdash; Bo French (@bofrench) <a href="https://x.com/bofrench/status/2099118916282810552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“I weep for the families in Texas who can’t get into UT because they prioritise foreigners over Texans,” he added.Texas institutions, he claimed, were “overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals”.<h2>Why is Bo French’s post being criticised, and that too by fellow Republicans?</h2>Media reports said the students in the photo appeared to be of South Asian or Indian descent. Texas has a large Asian American population of around 1.9 million, including more than 450,000 Indian Americans. Texas residents make up 80.5 per cent of the University of Texas at Austin’s student community, while international students account for less than 10 per cent. For automatic admissions to public universities, Texas law mandates that eligible Texas high school graduates be prioritised under the state’s top-performer admissions system.Interestingly, it was fellow Republicans who came out to criticise the message in French’s post.Senator John Cornyn said: “This is the Republican nominee for statewide office. Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalised. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad.”Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is also a Republican, distanced himself from French, saying: “That is not my message.”He said the picture of Longhorn fans actually showed a way that Texans unite. “We all support our college football teams,” he said.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/non-sensical-drivel-mr-singh-poster-on-illegal-drivers-removed-by-us-agency-without-apology-after-online-backlash-over-alleged-racism-1789104648864">'Non-sensical drivel': ‘Mr Singh’ poster on illegal drivers removed by US agency WITHOUT APOLOGY after online backlash over alleged racism</a>&nbsp;At the same time, Abbott added that unity does not prevent Texas from having some of the toughest immigration laws and called for “freezing H1B visas at our universities”.State Representative Lacey Hull, also a Republican, urged the deletion of the post, saying: “This post breaks my heart. I see college kids cheering on their football team. I see Texans.”Calling the post “racist”, State Representative Jared Patterson said: “There is absolutely nothing Christian or conservative about looking at a crowd of young Texans at a college football game, seeing the color of their skin, and declaring that they are a ‘problem.’ These are 20-year-old kids cheering for their university — not political props and not targets for racial attacks.”Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said: “You can oppose immigration policy without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity — this post has crossed the line.”State Representative Jeff Leach posted a photo of his son with ethnically diverse classmates at the game, calling French’s view racist.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/are-you-from-india-trump-s-dig-at-indian-journalist-s-triggers-racism-debate-video-1780722105294">'Are you from India?': Trump's dig at Indian journalist triggers racism debate - VIDEO</a><h2>Indian American groups react sharply</h2>The Indian American Advocacy Council unequivocally condemned Bo French’s “disgusting racist attack on brown students” at the University of Texas.“He looked at a photograph of brown students cheering for their university and immediately decided they were ‘foreigners’. That is racism,” the group said.The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) also called for elected leaders to condemn the rhetoric, noting concerns over anti-Indian and anti-Hindu hatred.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-impact-rubio-faces-tough-question-on-racism-1779731180817/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-impact-rubio-faces-tough-question-on-racism-1779731180817/embed</a><h2>French has a history of controversial posts</h2>French stuck to his guns, calling his critics RINOs, or “Republicans in Name Only”, and “America Last” figures, in contrast to President Donald Trump’s “America First” messaging. He did not delete the offending post.French, whose full name is Richard West “Bo” French, has a history of controversial posts. In the past, he has posted remarks targeting Muslims and Native Americans.French comes from a long-established Texas oil family.He is seeking the Republican nomination for Texas Railroad Commissioner, a statewide elected office that oversees the state’s oil and gas industry.

Texas Republican Bo French faced backlash from both his party leaders and Indian and South Asian Americans over a post targeting ‘foreigner’ students at the University of Texas. Here is what happened

A Republican politician's social media post appearing to target Indian and South Asian students in Texas has caused a firestorm of criticism over alleged racism. Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, on Sunday (Sep 13) posted a photo of University of Texas students celebrating a sports victory, with a caption that appeared provocative to some people. The photo mostly showed non-white students celebrating the Longhorns’ win over Ohio State the previous night. What Bo French said in his now-controversial post “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” French wrote in the post along with the photo. Referring to the celebration in the stands, French also remarked that it showed “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners”.

Texas Republican Bo French faced backlash from both his party leaders and Indian and South Asian Americans over a post targeting ‘foreigner’ students at the University of Texas. Here is what happened

Indian Americans, fellow Republicans react sharply to Bo French’s post targeting 'foreigner' students in Texas

H-1B visa restrictions in the US are hitting the Indian IT companies that send tech professionals in large numbers. But an ironic twist is happening in some American states: the end of the housing boom created by these Indians relocating to American cities. A recent Bloomberg article highlighted this in Texas, where, in addition to federal curbs and hefty fees, the state also cut fresh applications and some racists there made the H-1B holders the targets of their attacks. The entire suburban boom north of Dallas in Texas was built by Indian H-1B workers, who paid rent and taxes, bought houses, and became consumers. But with increasing populism, xenophobic rhetoric, and openly racist attacks caught on camera, the H-1B visa programme has become a political target. The housing market that those same Indian and South Asian workers built, bought into, and sustained, is collapsing. Here is a deeper look.<h2>How Indians in Texas built "Dallaspuram"</h2>The Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs transformed from rural farmland into a booming tech corridor over the past two decades, driven overwhelmingly by Indian skilled workers on H-1B visas. During the four-year period ending 30 September 2024, nearly 32,000 new H-1B approvals were issued in the Dallas area, exceeding Silicon Valley, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington DC, and trailing only the New York metro area. Texas is now home to 544,641 Indian residents, with Collin County containing the largest Indian community in the state, at 103,194. The Dallas-Fort Worth area as a whole is home to an estimated 235,000 Indian Americans—spanning generations of early and new arrivals—making it one of the largest Indian populations in the United States. Collin County recorded the largest percentage increase in Indian residents among major US counties, with the average Indian population rising from about 70,000 to more than 116,000 over the five-year period ending in 2024.In Frisco, meanwhile, Asians now make up 28 per cent of the population, with Indians dominating that figure. Indian workers were the engine of the area's real estate market. For instance, Tradition Homes, a builder north of Dallas, saw its South Asian buyer share peak at 70 per cent of all sales, according to the Bloomberg report. Builders designed homes with puja rooms—Hindu prayer spaces—and spice kitchens. Locally nicknamed "Dallaspuram", the suburbs of Frisco, Prosper, and Celina became the physical expression of this community's ambition and purchasing power.<h2>Success brings trouble: The political crackdown on H-1B</h2>This economic success story caught the attention of racists and populists, as well as federal and state governments. The very visa pipeline that made American technological progress and local economic prosperity possible is now under attack. At the federal level, the H-1B visa application fee was hiked steeply. Donald Trump's presidential proclamation of 19 September 2025 mandated that new H-1B petitions carry a $100,000 fee, creating a barrier that falls on employers and indirectly on workers. The random H-1B lottery was replaced with a salary-weighted selection system that took effect on 27 February 2026, favouring higher-paid applicants. The result: FY2027 H-1B registrations have plummeted by 38.5 per cent, as Indian IT firms are simply not applying.At the state level, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered an immediate freeze on all new H-1B visa petitions by state agencies and public universities, requiring institutions to document every foreign worker they currently sponsor. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an H-1B probe and expanded it in late April 2026, issuing civil investigative demands to almost 30 North Texas businesses suspected of visa fraud.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-republicans-introduce-bill-to-pause-h-1b-visas-for-3-years-propose-major-overhaul-1777127100494">US Republicans introduce bill to pause H-1B visas for 3 years, propose major overhaul&nbsp;</a><h2>H-1B crackdown leads to housing collapse in Texas</h2>Home prices in Collin County's northern suburbs fell nearly 9 per cent in February from a year earlier. This is more than double the 4 per cent decline across the broader Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Tradition Homes' South Asian buyer share has dropped from 70 per cent to below 30 per cent, leaving the company with a backlog of 125 luxury homes under construction.Falling home prices, slowing demand, and growing inventories of unsold houses have hit the region, just as AI-driven tech layoffs compounded the damage caused by visa policy changes.Fewer people receiving H-1B visas meant an immediate negative shock to the housing sector, which had been built around those arriving on such visas.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-h-1b-visa-registration-drops-30-50-after-new-rules-what-it-means-for-industry-1774337854393">US H-1B visa registration drops 30–50% after new rules: What does it mean for industry?</a><h2>Xenophobia, racism, and political populism add to the economic poison</h2>There have been a number of racially motivated attacks and slurs targeting Indians. In Irving, masked men held signs during a roadside protest in 2025 reading, "Don't India My Texas: Deport H-1B Visa Scammers." At Frisco City Council meetings, activists regularly denounce an "Indian invasion", accusing residents of H-1B fraud without any evidence. In 2024, a woman in Plano pleaded guilty to four hate-crime charges after being filmed using racial slurs against a group of South Asian women. YouTube documentaries with titles like "I Exposed Texas' Indian Invasion" have attracted millions of views. Clips of anti-Indian city council tirades and videos denouncing Hindu rituals are circulating widely, scaring away the very buyers that home builders desperately need.Beyond the morality of it, this racism is directly costing the local economy, as such viral videos suppress buyer interest.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-s-100-000-h-1-b-visa-fee-what-it-means-and-what-it-doesn-t-explained-1758415588544">Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee: What it means and what it doesn't&nbsp;</a><h2>The human toll on H-1B visa holders</h2>The Bloomberg report shared the story of Priya Narayanaswamy, who bought a home in Keller in 2023 for $435,000. Her husband, Anand, an IT worker on an H-1B visa, was suddenly laid off and died by suicide, fearing he could not compete with AI. Priya's dependent visa reverted to a six-month visitor visa, and she could no longer legally work in the US. Her house went into foreclosure, and she boarded a one-way flight to India on 20 April this year with her children. The neighbours who helped her most were White American families, not the politicians or racists who demonised people like her husband.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/h-1b-visa-fee-hike-explained-what-the-new-100k-fee-means-1758447341880/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/h-1b-visa-fee-hike-explained-what-the-new-100k-fee-means-1758447341880/embed</a><h2>Texas: The first case of what local economies will face if visas are curbed</h2>The economy of northern suburbs of Texas was transformed by Indian H-1B workers who built the tax base, bought million-dollar homes, filled schools, and created the cultural vitality of an entire region. But now, the state is watching that investment drain away because of politics and policy.Texas is a textbook case of what could happen to local economies if these factors make people on professional visas like H-1B feel unwelcome, unstable, and unsafe. How will this economy survive? Texas is about to find out. So are many other American states.

Texas suburbs that were once transformed by Indian H-1B workers are now facing falling home prices and weaker housing demand as visa restrictions, political backlash and tech layoffs reduce new arrivals. This could repeat in other American states too

H-1B visa restrictions in the US are hitting the Indian IT companies that send tech professionals in large numbers. But an ironic twist is happening in some American states: the end of the housing boom created by these Indians relocating to American cities. A recent Bloomberg article highlighted this in Texas, where, in addition to federal curbs and hefty fees, the state also cut fresh applications and some racists there made the H-1B holders the targets of their attacks. The entire suburban boom north of Dallas in Texas was built by Indian H-1B workers, who paid rent and taxes, bought houses, and became consumers. But with increasing populism, xenophobic rhetoric, and openly racist attacks caught on camera, the H-1B visa programme has become a political target. The housing market that those same Indian and South Asian workers built, bought into, and sustained, is collapsing. Here is a deeper look. How Indians in Texas built "Dallaspuram" The Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs transformed from rural farmland into a booming tech corridor over the past two decades, driven overwhelmingly by Indian skilled workers on H-1B visas. During the four-year period ending 30 September 2024, nearly 32,000 new H-1B approvals were issued in the Dallas area, exceeding Silicon Valley, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington DC, and trailing only the New York metro area. Texas is now home to 544,641 Indian residents, with Collin County containing the largest Indian community in the state, at 103,194. The Dallas-Fort Worth area as a whole is home to an estimated 235,000 Indian Americans—spanning generations of early and new arrivals—making it one of the largest Indian populations in the United States. Collin County recorded the largest percentage increase in Indian residents among major US counties, with the average Indian population rising from about 70,000 to more than 116,000 over the five-year period ending in 2024. In Frisco, meanwhile, Asians now make up 28 per cent of the population, with Indians dominating that figure. Indian workers were the engine of the area's real estate market. For instance, Tradition Homes, a builder north of Dallas, saw its South Asian buyer share peak at 70 per cent of all sales, according to the Bloomberg report. Builders designed homes with puja rooms—Hindu prayer spaces—and spice kitchens. Locally nicknamed "Dallaspuram", the suburbs of Frisco, Prosper, and Celina became the physical expression of this community's ambition and purchasing power. Success brings trouble: The political crackdown on H-1B This economic success story caught the attention of racists and populists, as well as federal and state governments. The very visa pipeline that made American technological progress and local economic prosperity possible is now under attack. At the federal level, the H-1B visa application fee was hiked steeply. Donald Trump's presidential proclamation of 19 September 2025 mandated that new H-1B petitions carry a $100,000 fee, creating a barrier that falls on employers and indirectly on workers. The random H-1B lottery was replaced with a salary-weighted selection system that took effect on 27 February 2026, favouring higher-paid applicants. The result: FY2027 H-1B registrations have plummeted by 38.5 per cent, as Indian IT firms are simply not applying. At the state level, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered an immediate freeze on all new H-1B visa petitions by state agencies and public universities, requiring institutions to document every foreign worker they currently sponsor. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an H-1B probe and expanded it in late April 2026, issuing civil investigative demands to almost 30 North Texas businesses suspected of visa fraud. Also read: US Republicans introduce bill to pause H-1B visas for 3 years, propose major overhaul H-1B crackdown leads to housing collapse in Texas Home prices in Collin County's northern suburbs fell nearly 9 per cent in February from a year earlier. This is more than double the 4 per cent decline across the broader Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Tradition Homes' South Asian buyer share has dropped from 70 per cent to below 30 per cent, leaving the company with a backlog of 125 luxury homes under construction. Falling home prices, slowing demand, and growing inventories of unsold houses have hit the region, just as AI-driven tech layoffs compounded the damage caused by visa policy changes. Fewer people receiving H-1B visas meant an immediate negative shock to the housing sector, which had been built around those arriving on such visas. Also read: US H-1B visa registration drops 30–50% after new rules: What does it mean for industry? Xenophobia, racism, and political populism add to the economic poison There have been a number of racially motivated attacks and slurs targeting Indians. In Irving, masked men held signs during a roadside protest in 2025 reading, "Don't India My Texas: Deport H-1B Visa Scammers." At Frisco City Council meetings, activists regularly denounce an "Indian invasion", accusing residents of H-1B fraud without any evidence. In 2024, a woman in Plano pleaded guilty to four hate-crime charges after being filmed using racial slurs against a group of South Asian women. YouTube documentaries with titles like "I Exposed Texas' Indian Invasion" have attracted millions of views. Clips of anti-Indian city council tirades and videos denouncing Hindu rituals are circulating widely, scaring away the very buyers that home builders desperately need. Beyond the morality of it, this racism is directly costing the local economy, as such viral videos suppress buyer interest. Also read: Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee: What it means and what it doesn't The human toll on H-1B visa holders The Bloomberg report shared the story of Priya Narayanaswamy, who bought a home in Keller in 2023 for $435,000. Her husband, Anand, an IT worker on an H-1B visa, was suddenly laid off and died by suicide, fearing he could not compete with AI. Priya's dependent visa reverted to a six-month visitor visa, and she could no longer legally work in the US. Her house went into foreclosure, and she boarded a one-way flight to India on 20 April this year with her children. The neighbours who helped her most were White American families, not the politicians or racists who demonised people like her husband. https://www.wionews.com/videos/h-1b-visa-fee-hike-explained-what-the-new-100k-fee-means-1758447341880/embed Texas: The first case of what local economies will face if visas are curbed The economy of northern suburbs of Texas was transformed by Indian H-1B workers who built the tax base, bought million-dollar homes, filled schools, and created the cultural vitality of an entire region. But now, the state is watching that investment drain away because of politics and policy. Texas is a textbook case of what could happen to local economies if these factors make people on professional visas like H-1B feel unwelcome, unstable, and unsafe. How will this economy survive? Texas is about to find out. So are many other American states.

Texas suburbs that were once transformed by Indian H-1B workers are now facing falling home prices and weaker housing demand as visa restrictions, political backlash and tech layoffs reduce new arrivals. This could repeat in other American states too

Indians on H-1B visas exit Texas and its housing boom is dying. Other states could see similar decline

A video showing an Indian couple facing a racist confrontation in the United States has triggered widespread outrage online. The clip, which has been circulating across social media platforms, shows a man sitting inside a car questioning the couple about their nationality before asking them to leave the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;While the exact location of the incident has not been independently verified, the video has once again sparked debate around racism and xenophobia faced by immigrants abroad.&nbsp;In the video, the man first asks the couple whether they are from India and then questions if India is better than the United States. Responding calmly, the Indian man says both countries have “plus points” and mentions that their family lives in India.&nbsp;The stranger then asks why they are staying in the US if they believe India is good.When the couple explains that they are in the country “to explore the world,” the man becomes aggressive and says, “No, we don't want you here. You have to go home. Get the f*** out of my country.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">I encountered some incredible H-1B indians, and I had to let them know something! <a href="https://t.co/Qi8FyfcjzF">pic.twitter.com/Qi8FyfcjzF</a>&mdash; tone (@AyTone4th) <a href="https://x.com/AyTone4th/status/2057130312639860940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Despite the hostile comments, the couple remains composed throughout the exchange, with the video drawing support for their calm response online.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-intent-on-making-deal-trump-says-as-white-house-labels-tehran-report-on-draft-agreement-complete-fabrication-1779900971950">‘Iran intent on making deal’: Trump says nobody will control Hormuz, it's international waters</a>&nbsp;The verified social media account that shared the video reportedly belongs to a music producer who has previously uploaded clips mocking Indians, including content filmed inside an Indian restaurant.&nbsp;Several users on social media also tagged Marco Rubio in posts related to the incident. Rubio had recently concluded a visit to India, during which he was asked about increasing reports of racist behaviour targeting Indians in the US.&nbsp;Responding to a question from reporters, Rubio had said that “every country has its stupid people” and added that such incidents were not limited to one nation.&nbsp;“People say stupid stuff all the time on social media and in every country in the world, unfortunately,” he said.

While the couple responded calmly to the questions, the stranger reacted aggressively, saying, “No, we don't want you here. You have to go home.”

A video showing an Indian couple facing a racist confrontation in the United States has triggered widespread outrage online. The clip, which has been circulating across social media platforms, shows a man sitting inside a car questioning the couple about their nationality before asking them to leave the country. While the exact location of the incident has not been independently verified, the video has once again sparked debate around racism and xenophobia faced by immigrants abroad. In the video, the man first asks the couple whether they are from India and then questions if India is better than the United States. Responding calmly, the Indian man says both countries have “plus points” and mentions that their family lives in India. The stranger then asks why they are staying in the US if they believe India is good. When the couple explains that they are in the country “to explore the world,” the man becomes aggressive and says, “No, we don't want you here. You have to go home. Get the f*** out of my country.”

While the couple responded calmly to the questions, the stranger reacted aggressively, saying, “No, we don't want you here. You have to go home.”

‘We don’t want you here’: Racist confrontation with Indian couple in US goes viral | Video

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Indian Americans, fellow Republicans react sharply to Bo French’s post targeting 'foreigner' students in Texas

H-1B visa holders exit Texas, killings its housing boom. Its only the start

‘We don’t want you here’: Indian couple faces racist abuse in US | Video