Kamal Ghorui
A council meeting of Frisco, a city in Texas, turned into a battleground as the major issue at the meeting was the changing demography of the city, with the number of Indian-American people growing. The timing of the meeting was also crucial — days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a freeze on H-1B hiring in state agencies and universities and Texas AG announced a probe into three H-1B firms. Ahead of the city council meeting, MAGA influencers rallied Frisco residents on social media to attend the meeting and speak about how they can’t recognize their neighborhood because of the ‘Indian takeover’. A number of people attended the meeting but they were not even Frisco residents, reports claimed. Frisco community social media channels were flooded with messages after the meeting was over. Frisco leaders condemned the targeting of the Indians — some deleted their messages under pressure.John Keating, who is running for Frisco mayor, put out a bold message assuring protection of the Indian community in Frisco. “Targeting members of our Indian community, or any community, is wrong, and it has no place in Frisco. Many of the individuals making these remarks were not residents; they came to divide, not to unite. To our Indian community, you are home in Frisco. You belong here. Your presence, your contributions, and your culture make our city stronger. You are valued, respected, and deeply appreciated,” Keating wrote.“I heard comments that were deeply hurtful and completely unacceptable. As a veteran, I know the importance of standing up for what is right and defending the dignity of every person who lives here,” he wrote.The post drew hate as people questioned why 33% of Frisco’s population is India. “I find it more hurtful that City Council members are supporting tyrannical corporations violating the United States Constitution but I guess that’s normal for all of you corrupted politicians. I’m not a resident of Frisco but I worked at a the largest private sector employer for Frisco and have every right to speak at your city. Your donations are next bud,” Marc Palasciano, who spokes at the city council meeting too, wrote in comment.
