Indians in US called invaders, scammers? Hate posts on X drew 300 mn views
A study finds anti-Indian posts on X tripled in 2025, drawing over 300 million views during US immigration policy debates
 "Indians in US called invaders, scammers? Hate posts on X drew 300 mn views")
A new study has found a sharp rise in anti-Indian rhetoric on social media in the United States, even as Indian Americans remain one of the country’s most economically influential immigrant groups.
Indian Americans number about 5.2 million people, roughly 1.6 per cent of the US population, and their role in business and technology is well documented. The community accounts for more than 55 per cent of US-funded firms, while Indian-born entrepreneurs form the largest national-origin group among immigrant founders.
Yet despite that presence, hostility directed at Indians has grown online. A report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), titled “How a Small Network Hijacked the Immigration Debate”, examined how anti-Indian narratives spread across social media platforms, particularly X, and what drove their amplification. NCRI is a non-profit that studies the spread of misinformation, disinformation and online hate using data science.
What did the NCRI report find?
Key findings from the NCRI report
The report identifies several patterns in the spread of anti-Indian narratives during 2025.
1. Anti-Indian content on X tripled in weekly volume in 2025
From January to December 2025, these posts accumulated more than 300 million views across over 24,000 tweets.
2. Immigration policy developments in 2025 acted as catalytic triggers for online hostility
Announcements such as the Department of Homeland Security’s H-1B modernisation rule, State Department visa restrictions and the White House proposal of a $100,000 petition fee corresponded with spikes in slurs, ethnic generalisation and deportation rhetoric directed at Indians.
3. Policy grievances increasingly merged with ethnic attribution
Debates about labour markets and visa systems often shifted into language portraying Indians as demographic “invaders” or economic “replacers”. Early 2025 saw the spread of explicit slurs such as “pajeet”. By mid-year, conspiracy narratives about “replacement” and “invasion” gained wider traction.
4. Amplification was concentrated rather than organic
The three most prolific posters (NeonWhiteCat, MattForney and TheBrancaShow) attracted more than 10 per cent of all likes and 20 per cent of all retweets linked to anti-Indian content. Several of the most active accounts have ties to white nationalist networks or past incitement campaigns.
5. Extremist ecosystems converged on the issue
Figures such as Nick Fuentes and Sneako, who have previously appeared in research on antisemitic and far-right online campaigns, were among those spreading the messaging.
6. Online escalation coincided with offline targeting
Harassment at Hindu temples, masked protesters carrying signs reading “Deport H-1B Scammers”, and calls from some elected officials for mass deportation of Indians were recorded during 2025.
Study tracks more than 24,000 posts and 300 million views
According to the NCRI analysis, anti-Indian content on X tripled in weekly volume during 2025. Between January and December 2025, researchers documented more than 24,000 posts generating over 300 million views.
The data suggest that the increase was closely tied to specific immigration policy discussions in the United States rather than emerging gradually over time.
Several policy developments in 2025 coincided with spikes in online hostility. These included the Department of Homeland Security’s H-1B modernisation rule, which took effect on January 17, 2025, State Department visa restrictions, and a White House proposal introducing a $100,000 petition fee.
Researchers observed that such policy debates often became flashpoints for anti-Indian narratives.
One example occurred on September 19 and 20. Anti-Indian content on X usually averaged between 50 and 100 posts per day, but during those two days the volume rose to about 300 posts.
“Most of the highly-engaged anti-Indian tweets during this period applauded this order as a way to curb Indian immigration into the US while simultaneously engaging in racist verbal abuse against Indians,” the study said.
Immigration debates increasingly framed Indians as “invaders”
The researchers found that discussions about immigration policy often shifted into broader ethnic accusations.
Debates that began around labour markets or visa systems frequently turned into collective blame narratives targeting Indians as a group.
According to the report, early 2025 saw a surge in explicit slurs such as “pajeet”. By mid-year, the rhetoric increasingly revolved around conspiracy narratives portraying Indians as demographic “invaders” or economic “replacers”.
The framing differs from rhetoric directed at some other immigrant communities. Criticism of Somali immigrants in cities such as Minneapolis often portrays them as a burden on public resources.
Attacks on Indians, however, often portray them as economic competitors.
Indian-American households recorded a median annual income of $151,200 in 2023, well above the national median. In addition, 77 per cent of Indian Americans hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 38 per cent of native-born Americans.
Because of these socioeconomic outcomes, many online attacks portray Indians not as welfare recipients but as workers allegedly “stealing American jobs”.
Researchers say amplification was concentrated
The NCRI study also challenges the assumption that the surge in anti-Indian rhetoric emerged organically.
According to the researchers, amplification was highly concentrated among a small group of accounts.
The three most prolific posters (NeonWhiteCat, MattForney and TheBrancaShow) generated more than 10 per cent of all likes and 20 per cent of all retweets linked to anti-Indian content in the dataset.
Researchers say several of the most influential accounts involved in spreading these narratives have connections to white nationalist networks or have previously appeared in online incitement campaigns.
The report says that a relatively small network played a disproportionate role in pushing the issue into wider online discussion.
Extremist figures amplified the narrative
The study also traced links between anti-Indian messaging and broader extremist ecosystems online.
Influencers such as Nick Fuentes and Sneako, who have previously appeared in research examining antisemitic and far-right campaigns, were among those spreading the rhetoric.
Fuentes, in particular, used his social media platforms to mock Indian culture and deploy racial slurs. In several instances, he posted the phrase “go back to India” while attacking Indian figures online.
His rhetoric has also targeted public figures. Fuentes referred to Usha Vance, the wife of US Vice President JD Vance, using the slur “jeet”.
Indian figures targeted in online attacks
The atmosphere online has also affected Indian-origin figures in public life.
After winning the presidency in 2024, Donald Trump appointed Sriram Krishnan as senior policy adviser for artificial intelligence.
Within hours, Krishnan, an immigrant from India with a career in Silicon Valley, faced a wave of attacks from accounts on the online right.
“Did any of y’all vote for this Indian to run America?” one user wrote on X beneath Krishnan’s photograph.
Laura Loomer also criticised the appointment, calling it “deeply disturbing” and writing that the United States was built by “white Europeans” and “not third world invaders from India”.
Two days later, Vivek Ramaswamy defended Krishnan. Ramaswamy, a former biotech entrepreneur who later endorsed Trump and is now running for Ohio governor, said the influx of foreign-born engineers in US companies was the result of America having “venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long”.
Ramaswamy, who was born in Cincinnati to Indian parents, also became a target of online abuse after his remarks.