Kamal Ghorui
A debate over an H1B visa setback has taken a turn after a MAGA commentator weighed in with sweeping remarks about India and Indian workers in the United States.Andrew Branca, a US lawyer and conservative commentator, sparked outrage after commenting on the plight of an Indian professional struggling with America’s employment-based immigration system. Referring to migration pressures, Branca said: “Nobody dreads being compelled to live in India like Indians dread being compelled to live in India.”The row comes amid a post on Reddit’s r/H1-B forum, where a worker described his difficulties after his employer’s green card sponsorship process stalled. The man, who said he moved to the United States in 2020 on an H1B visa, works as an Oracle and SAP Manager in the Bay Area. His company began the PERM labour certification process, but the Labour Market Test failed due to a high number of US applicants.“H1B to PERM issue, LMT failed, too many applicants. What to do next?” the post read. He added that he felt tense as permanent residency was central to his long-term plans and asked whether he should restart the process, change employers or prepare to leave once his visa period ends.Branca has frequently criticised the H1B system and responded with other attacks on Indian migrants. In a video posted on X, he argued that even significant tax contributions would not justify their stay, claiming Indian workers “stole” jobs from Americans. He wrote that even if Indians paid $100,000 in taxes, he would still support deportation, saying their presence compromises American culture.He has also linked reports of fake degree busts to claims that Indians misuse academic credentials for visas and described them as “low-IQ, low-trust, high-fraud,” alleging they aim to “make America more Indian.”
