Charlie Kirk, MAGA loyalist and conservative commentator, was shot dead on Wednesday while attending an event in Utah. The staunch Trump ally was known for his hard-line remarks on immigration, abortion, gun control and race, sparking heated debates across American campuses.Just days before his death, Kirk had commented on Indian professionals in the US workforce. He claimed that “no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India.”On September 2, he posted on X: “America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full. Let’s finally put our own people first.” His comments came in response to Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who argued that any trade deal with India would mean the US having to grant more visas. She said she would rather not “pay them in visas and trade deficits” and added that “Modi should see what terms he can get from Xi instead.”Kirk’s comments came as conservative figures intensified their criticism of the H-1B visa system.The debate over visas and outsourcing has long been used as a political flashpoint. Right-wing activist Laura Loomer suggested that Donald Trump could even consider banning outsourcing to Indian call centres, saying, “You don’t need to press 2 for English anymore. Make Call Centers American Again!”Supporters of immigration, however, argue the opposite. A fact sheet released by the American Immigration Council last year said that immigrant and native-born workers generally complement each other rather than compete for the same jobs. Indian H-1B holders, in particular, contribute by paying taxes, supporting local communities, and strengthening research-driven industries like Silicon Valley and healthcare.Yet Trump-era policies have hardened. Tariffs on Indian goods were doubled to 50 per cent, while thousands of student visas for Indians were revoked, even as Chinese students were admitted in large numbers. Congressman Ro Khanna warned that “we can’t allow the ego of Donald Trump to destroy a strategic relationship with India, that is key to ensuring that America leads and not China.”
