By Keerthi Ramesh
Comments from Aaron Reitz, a Republican candidate for Texas attorney general, sparked backlash and renewed debate over immigration and corporate hiring practices after posting a sharply worded message on X that criticized Indian immigrants and how multinational companies are operating in the state.
Collin, Dallas, & Harris Counties may soon be renamed Calcutta, Delhi, & Hyderabad Counties given how bad the invasion of un-assimilated & un-assimilable Indians has become.
Globalist corporations move to Texas to exploit our favorable economic climate.
Having contempt for…
— Aaron Reitz (@aaron_reitz) January 19, 2026
As former federal prosecutor and conservative activist, he wrote “Collin, Dallas, & Harris Counties may soon be renamed Calcutta, Delhi, & Hyderabad Counties” referring to the growing number of foreign workers allegedly taking jobs from native Texans or Americans.
He argued that major Texas counties were being overwhelmed by what he described as an influx of “un-assimilated” Indian immigrants, language that civil rights advocates and political opponents quickly condemned as racist and inflammatory. In the post, Reitz accused global corporations of exploiting Texas’ business-friendly climate by sidelining American workers through the use of H-1B visas, a federal program that allows companies to hire highly skilled foreign labour.
READ: Companies under fire over hiring Indians amid H-1B backlash(January 15, 2026)
Reitz said that, if he gets elected attorney general, he would work with Trump administration to scrutinize corporate immigration paperwork and aggressively pursue deportations, while allowing only some immigrants to remain through “assimilation.” He also pledged to target companies he accused of disloyalty to the state and country, arguing that Texas should not be treated “like a mere economic zone.”
The comments immediately drew criticism from immigrant advocacy groups, business leaders and Democratic lawmakers, who said that the rhetoric paints entire communities with a broad brush and risks causing ethnic tensions in one of the nation’s most diverse states. “This kind of language dehumanizes people who live, work and contribute to Texas every day,” wrote Steven Brown, a Houston-based immigration attorney, who noted on X that Indian Americans play major roles in medicine, technology and small business ownership across the state. “It also misunderstands how legal immigration and workforce needs actually function.”
READ: ‘This isn’t immigration policy anymore’: SkillStorm’s Hany Girgis slams H-1B program (January 13, 2026)
Texas is home to one of the fastest-growing Indian American populations in the country, according to U.S. Census data, with large communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas. Many work in engineering, health care and information technology, sectors that state leaders have long promoted as engines of economic growth.
Business groups also pushed back on Reitz’s characterization of corporate hiring practices, arguing that programs like H-1B are federally regulated and often used when qualified domestic workers are scarce. “Texas’ economic success has been built on attracting talent from around the world,” said a spokesperson for a statewide technology association. “Vilifying companies and workers alike send the wrong signal.”
The timing of Reitz’s post appears unfavorable to him as immigration remains a central issue in Texas politics, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border, where Republican leaders are focused on illegal crossings and border security. Critics say shifting the focus to legal immigrants’ risks undermining that message by creating cultural resentment.
Reitz has not issued an apology or clarification, instead doubling down on his broader argument that immigration policy should prioritize American workers and national identity. As the attorney general race intensifies, the controversy underscores how immigration, corporate power and cultural change continue to collide in Texas’ political landscape.