Conditional Welcome: Being MAGA Doesn’t Protect TX Indian American Officials

Photo: Abraham George (Left), Burt Thakur (Right)

India-West News Desk

AUSTIN, TX – Republican Indian American leaders in Texas are finding themselves caught in an uncomfortable bind, publicly backing hardline immigration positions while simultaneously becoming targets of abuse, suspicion and racially charged attacks from within their own political ecosystem.

The latest flashpoint comes after Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a freeze on new H-1B visa petitions across state agencies and public universities, positioning Texas alongside Florida in a growing Republican led push against the skilled worker program. Abbott framed the move as a jobs first measure, arguing that taxpayer funded positions should prioritize local workers.

“Texans come first,” Abbott wrote on social media. “I’m directing state agencies and universities to freeze new H-1B visa petitions. Texas taxpayers invest billions to train our workforce. Those jobs should go to Texans.”

Among the policy’s earliest and most visible supporters was Abraham George, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas and one of the most prominent Indian origin conservatives in the state. George responded online with a brief message thanking the governor and endorsing the “Texans first” framing.

The reaction was swift and ugly. Social media responses targeting George quickly turned personal, with one commenter telling him to “catch the first flight to New Delhi,” a remark that underscored how quickly immigration debates can slip into racial hostility even when directed at Republican leaders advancing conservative policies.

Born in Kerala to Christian parents who were both preachers, George immigrated legally to the United States as a teenager after his family spent more than a decade navigating the visa process. He later built a career in finance and technology before entering politics and rising to lead the Texas GOP. In recent years, he has been outspoken about tightening immigration pathways and curbing what conservatives describe as abuse of the H-1B system.

A similar dynamic is playing out at the local level in North Texas. Frisco City Councilman Burt Thakur, the city’s first Indian American council member and a Republican, has faced allegations circulating online and aired during a recent council meeting that accused him of benefiting from immigration fraud or facilitating demographic change through H-1B linked interests.

During a January 20 council meeting, resident Marc Palasciano questioned campaign donations to Thakur, suggesting ties between political donors, real estate interests and companies associated with the H-1B program. The remarks went viral and were amplified by online outlets, drawing Thakur into a controversy far removed from the city’s municipal responsibilities.

In response, Thakur flatly rejected the claims. “H-1B is something that I have no control of,” Thakur told the Dallas Express. “That’s a USCIS issue. That’s a federal government responsibility.”

Texas city council members have no authority over visa programs, and the City of Frisco does not directly employ any H-1B workers, according to federal databases, the media outlet reported. Thakur also defended his campaign donors, saying contributions do not equate to influence and that he neither vetted donors by immigration status nor had access to such information.

Thakur has been open about actively courting Indian American voters and encouraging them to align with the Republican Party, describing them as a growing and influential voting bloc in North Texas. He has argued that his goal is to bring Indian Americans into the America First fold rather than see them drift toward Democrats, as they have in other parts of the country.

Together, the episodes highlight a broader tension within the Republican coalition. As the party sharpens its rhetoric and policies around immigration, even immigrant origin leaders who champion those positions are increasingly vulnerable to suspicion.

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Second Lady Usha Vance have repeatedly been targeted by members of their own party. FBI Director Kash Patel talks about deportation but it is well known he faces taunts from the base.