Aaron Reitz, Republican candidate for Texas attorney general, is facing intense criticism after posting comments about X that were widely condemned as racist and inflammatory toward Indians and South Asians.
In an article that quickly went viral, Reitz claimed that Texas was in danger of becoming like India or Pakistan due to immigration, writing that “Collin, Dallas, and Harris counties may soon be renamed Calcutta, Delhi, and Hyderabad counties,” which he described as the result of an “invasion of unassimilated and unassimilable Indians.”
Reitz also targeted global companies operating in Texas, accusing them of exploiting the state’s business-friendly policies while supporting H-1B visas. He alleged the companies were showing “disdain for native-born American workers” and facilitating what he called an “H-1B scam for cheap labor.”
“As AG, I will work with the Trump administration to reopen the books on all of their ‘legal’ documents,” Reitz wrote. “Expel most. Assimilate the rest. At the same time, I will go after the gutless and traitorous corporations who have no loyalty to our state… This is Texas, the United States, not India or Pakistan.”
These remarks sparked a rapid reaction on social media. User X Sidharth (@Cloudwatch199) verified Reitz’s claims, pointing out that one of his biggest campaign donors is Anosh Ahmed, a Pakistani-American doctor. According to Sidharth, Ahmed was federally indicted in a COVID-19 testing fraud case.
Sidharth further accused Reitz of hypocrisy, writing that even though the candidate claims to oppose turning Texas into Indian cities, he has accepted support from figures allegedly linked to Islamist groups. He condemned Reitz for using Indian cities as a “racist slur,” calling the rhetoric “disgusting.”
Transparency USA campaign finance records show that Reitz accepted a $100,000 donation from Ahmed, making him a top contributor to the campaign.
Legal experts have also weighed in on the controversy. Steven Brown, a Houston-based immigration attorney, noted that Indian nationals make up less than 2 percent of Texas’ population, calling Reitz’s language “dog whistle rhetoric” that exaggerates the realities of immigration.
The controversy adds to increased scrutiny of discourse around immigration and foreign workers in U.S. elections, especially as candidates increasingly target visa programs and multinational corporations in their campaigns.
Intro: In an article that quickly went viral, Reitz claimed that Texas was at risk of becoming like India or Pakistan due to immigration, writing that “Collin, Dallas and Harris counties could soon be renamed Calcutta, Delhi and Hyderabad counties.”
Aaron Reitz, Republican candidate for Texas attorney general, is facing intense criticism after posting comments about X that were widely condemned as racist and inflammatory toward Indians and South Asians.
In an article that quickly went viral, Reitz claimed that Texas was in danger of becoming like India or Pakistan due to immigration, writing that “Collin, Dallas, and Harris counties may soon be renamed Calcutta, Delhi, and Hyderabad counties,” which he described as the result of an “invasion of unassimilated and unassimilable Indians.”
Reitz also targeted global companies operating in Texas, accusing them of exploiting the state’s business-friendly policies while supporting H-1B visas. He alleged the companies were showing “disdain for native-born American workers” and facilitating what he called an “H-1B scam for cheap labor.”
“As AG, I will work with the Trump administration to reopen the books on all of their ‘legal’ documents,” Reitz wrote. “Expel most. Assimilate the rest. At the same time, I will go after the gutless and traitorous corporations who have no loyalty to our state… This is Texas, the United States, not India or Pakistan.”
These remarks sparked a rapid reaction on social media. User X Sidharth (@Cloudwatch199) verified Reitz’s claims, pointing out that one of his biggest campaign donors is Anosh Ahmed, a Pakistani-American doctor. According to Sidharth, Ahmed was federally indicted in a COVID-19 testing fraud case.
Sidharth further accused Reitz of hypocrisy, writing that even though the candidate claims to oppose turning Texas into Indian cities, he has accepted support from figures allegedly linked to Islamist groups. He condemned Reitz for using Indian cities as a “racist slur,” calling the rhetoric “disgusting.”
Transparency USA campaign finance records show that Reitz accepted a $100,000 donation from Ahmed, making him a top contributor to the campaign.
Legal experts have also weighed in on the controversy. Steven Brown, a Houston-based immigration attorney, noted that Indian nationals make up less than 2 percent of Texas’ population, calling Reitz’s language “dog whistle rhetoric” that exaggerates the realities of immigration.
The controversy adds to increased scrutiny of discourse around immigration and foreign workers in U.S. elections, especially as candidates increasingly target visa programs and multinational corporations in their campaigns.
