A Texas conservative activist has sparked a controversy by questioning the presence of a 90-foot-tall statue of Lord Hanuman at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas.Carlos Turcios, a Republican activist from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, shared a video of the statue on X claiming that “third world aliens are slowly taking over Texas and the United States” and urging people to “stop the invasion.”“Known as Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman, the statue was inaugurated in August 2024 and is the tallest statue of its kind in North America. Temple officials describe it as a symbol of the “spiritual center” of strength, devotion and peace.Indian-Americans were quick to respond to Tutsios’ post, refuting his claims. One wrote: “It is on private property – built by Hindus with their own money on land they own. You lost the culture war years ago, and you’re about to lose the midterms. Your ‘America First’ behavior is exposed as racist nostalgia. “Another commenter put data on the level of assimilation of Indian Americans, comparing it to U.S. language statistics: “There are 41 million Spanish-speaking households in the U.S., but no Indian language in the top 10. Since home language is the strongest indicator of assimilation, your group has a long way to go before it comes close to the level of assimilation of Indian Americans.”Tusios has previously criticized H-1B visas, claiming Indian immigrants have “invaded” places like Frisco, Texas. He is not the only critic of the visa system. Nikki Haley’s son Nalin Haley, former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis all want a long-term ban on the H1-B visa system, saying it is inherently exploitative and robs Americans of jobs.Additionally, there are many prominent Hindu figures in the Trump administration. Former DOGE leader Vivek Ramaswamy, national intelligence boss Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel and second lady Usha Vance, wife of the US Vice President.The Hanuman statue remains an important cultural and religious symbol for the local Indian-American community, and despite the online controversy, the temple continues to welcome visitors.
