Charlie Kirk Criticized Indian H1B Visas And Wanted Nothing To Do With Pak Conflict

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead on a Utah university campus on September 10, leaves behind a polarizing legacy that reached well beyond U.S. politics — including his sharp takes on India’s role in global affairs and immigration.

Just days before his death, Kirk reignited debate with a post on X declaring that the United States should not expand visas for Indian professionals. “America does not need more visas for people from India,” he wrote on September 2. “Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full. Let’s finally put our own people first.”

The post, echoing long-standing MAGA talking points against skilled immigration, triggered a wave of criticism. Advocates for immigrants highlighted that Indian professionals in tech and STEM have powered Silicon Valley and the U.S. economy, while Kirk’s supporters argued that H-1B visa holders were displacing American jobs and suppressing wages. The backlash showcased how India is becoming a flashpoint in America’s culture wars over immigration.

Kirk had earlier drawn attention for his commentary on India’s conflict with Pakistan. Following the May terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 22 people, India launched “Operation Sindoor” against militant groups. On his widely followed podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show, he dismissed calls for U.S. involvement, framing the escalation as a regional issue.

“Pakistan is 100% Muslim. India is mostly Hindu. They don’t care for each other much at all,” Kirk said, before adding that while the U.S. might “slightly favor India because they’re retaliating to Islamic terror,” Washington should offer nothing more than moral support. “This is not our war,” he emphasized.

Kirk’s positions on India reflected his broader worldview — skeptical of foreign entanglements, aligned with Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, and uncompromising in his opposition to immigration. As founder of the youth activist group Turning Point USA, his campus rallies and media platforms — including 5.2 million followers on X and 4 million YouTube subscribers — amplified those positions to a wide audience.