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Texas politicians slammed for using tragic Austin shooting to attack H-1B visa workers, ‘Suspect was a US citizen’
The Hindu American Foundation denounced Texas politicians for blaming the Austin shooting on H-1B visas, noting the shooter was a U.S. citizen.
The Hindu American Foundation has condemned Texas politicians for associating the latest shooting in Austin with immigration and skilled worker visas (H-1B), calling the response “absurd political theater.”
In a statement on X, the advocacy organization countered efforts to link the incident to the H-1B visa program, clarifying that the perpetrator was not a visa holder but rather a long-established American citizen.
“Texas politicians are blaming H-1B visas for the Austin shooting. The suspect was a U.S. citizen, long settled in the country, not some foreign worker on a visa," the Hindu American Foundation stated.
“Using a tragedy to attack skilled immigrants? That’s not policy. That’s absurd political theater. Please. Make it make sense," it added.
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Austin shooting suspect
The remarks were made following a mass shooting that occurred in downtown Austin, Texas, where 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne discharged his weapon outside a busy bar, resulting in the deaths of two persons and injuries to 14 others before being fatally shot by law enforcement.
According to CNN, Diagne hailed from Senegal and arrived in the US on a tourist visa in 2000. He subsequently obtained lawful permanent residency after marrying a US citizen in 2006 and was naturalized in 2013.
A photo that CNN obtained showed that the suspect was sporting a hoodie that read "Property of Allah." According to the outlet's source, law enforcement subsequently discovered that Diagne was wearing a T-shirt with an Iranian flag pattern on it.
Texas Republicans' move against H-1B visa workers
Given this, a number of Texas Republicans made a political move to halt immigration programs in response to the shooting. In a letter to Congress, more than 70 Republican lawmakers called for extensive restrictions, including an immediate stop to the granting of H-1B visas, which allow US businesses to hire highly qualified foreign workers in specialized fields.
The lawmakers stated in the letter that stricter regulations were necessary for national security and asked for a temporary halt to immigration until authorities could better track and assess newcomers.
The requests also included reallocating resources to uncover possible dangers that may already exist within the United States and properly funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
