H-1B Row: Indian-American Group Warns of Rising Online Threats

An Indian American advocacy organisation has raised concerns over a surge in online posts it says are targeting the community and could translate into real-world harm if left unchecked.

The Indian American Advocacy Council (IAAC) issued a series of statements this week warning that what began as political debate has, in its view, crossed into incitement and dehumanising language.

“This is not politics or edgy speech. It is incitement, and it puts real people at risk,” the group said in one of its posts, urging social media platforms and law enforcement agencies to take the matter seriously.

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The council specifically called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other authorities to review the public online activity of an individual it accused of promoting violence, asking them to assess any possible coordination, funding links or networks that could be amplifying threats. It also appealed to the social media platform X to remove posts that advocate violence and to suspend users who repeatedly violate its policies.

“Threats against an ethnic community are not acceptable — not online, not anywhere,” the organisation said.

The warning follows a spike in hostile exchanges tied to debates around US immigration policy, especially the H-1B visa programme, which allows American companies to recruit foreign workers in speciality occupations. While critics argue that the programme undercuts domestic workers, supporters maintain that it is essential for filling high-skill roles that the local workforce cannot meet.

Rajeev Sharma, a founding member associated with IAAC, said he was “deeply unsettled and frustrated” by the way a legitimate policy discussion had, in his words, been distorted into something “much more sinister.” He described recent language as dehumanising and, at times, genocidal in tone.

Several users aligned with the council echoed those concerns and thanked Americans who publicly pushed back against such rhetoric. In one message, IAAC said, “We want to thank every American who stood up for Indians in the US. Genocidal rhetoric has no place in America.”

Alongside its condemnation of online threats, the council also circulated a draft charter outlining its mission and long-term objectives, presenting it as a statement of identity and purpose for supporters to share.

With immigration and economic issues set to dominate the run-up to the 2026 US elections, IAAC said it will continue monitoring online discourse, stressing that while policy disagreements are legitimate, calls for harm are not.

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