A U.S. congressman’s remarks about Indian workers at 7-Eleven stores have sparked an online debate, with reactions ranging from support for “Make America Great Again” to criticism from progressives about his remarks and personal relationships.Texas Congressman Brendan Gill is facing backlash after a video criticizing hiring Indian workers went viral on X. In the video, Gill called the idea of bringing workers from India to fill American jobs “stupid” and “stupid.”“We don’t need to bring in 7-Eleven workers from India or anywhere in the world. Hire Americans,” he wrote while sharing the video.Gill made the comments during an appearance on “The Benny Show” where he discussed the changing demographics of parts of Texas such as Frisco. He linked legal and illegal immigration to competition for jobs and abuse of the H-1B visa system. Referring to a viral video shot inside a 7-Eleven, he claimed such cases involve fraud, adding, “This has to end at some point, and I think that time is now.“The video, originally recorded by YouTuber Tyler Oliveira, sparked a debate in which an Indian employee at a Texas store said he was from Andhra Pradesh and working in the U.S. on an H-1B visa.Gill’s response sparked reactions online. One user wrote, “I don’t care if Brandon’s wife is half Indian. He is literally the only person in Congress willing to be here. He doesn’t have to say it, he knows he will be attacked by the Indian pockets in his district, but he does it anyway. I support Brandon Gill.”However, many others criticized the congressman, pointing out that his wife, Danielle D’Souza Gill, is of Indian descent. The daughter of MAGA ally and conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, she was born in Mumbai and later moved to the United States.“Really weird comments from a man who is married to an Indian woman and has Indian in-laws. He promotes white nationalism in public but in the bedroom he is a third worldist. The racist version of a closeted gay priest,” one user said. Despite the criticism, Gill has been consistent in her stance on immigration. He has previously argued that legal immigration does not automatically bring benefits and linked mass immigration to cultural and economic changes in the United States.
