U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal recently faced online trolling after sharing a personal story about arriving in the United States alone as a teenager, a moment she described as central to her journey as an immigrant and lawmaker.
In a speech she shared on social media, Jayapal spoke about the sacrifices her parents made to send her to the U.S. for a better future.
“My parents sent me to the United States, by myself, when I was 16 years old. They had 5000 bucks in their bank account and they used it all to send me here even though I was never going to live on the same continent as them again because they really believed that America was the best place in the world, where I would get the best education and the most opportunity,” Jayapal said.
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The video quickly circulated online and drew mixed reactions, including comments from critics and political opponents.
Among them was Keith Swank, who responded with a short remark mocking the story. “What a waste of money,” Swank, Pierce County sheriff commented.
Jayapal, who has often spoken about her immigrant background, said the experience shaped her commitment to immigration advocacy. Sharing the clip of her speech, she wrote: “Fighting for justice and dignity for our immigrant neighbours has never been “just politics.” For me, it’s personal.”
“I don’t blame them. I bet the return on that money was life changing with the amount of money that y’all have taken. Better than hitting the lottery,” another user commented.
The episode reflects a broader trend in which prominent Indian Americans, particularly those in public life, increasingly face online trolling and political attacks on social media platforms.
The speech Jayapal shared online was from a congressional hearing held earlier.
More recently, the lawmaker also raised concerns about immigration enforcement during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing where outgoing Kristi Noem testified earlier this month.
During the hearing, Jayapal criticized the detention of U.S. citizens by immigration authorities. She brought four individuals to the hearing and said they were all American citizens who had been taken into custody by immigration officials.
“Raise your hand if you were not charged with any crime following your detention,” Jayapal asked during the hearing as they raised their hands. “Not a single one of you were charged with a crime.”
According to Jayapal, none of them had been charged with any crime despite being held in custody. She cited their cases while questioning federal officials, arguing that such incidents raise serious concerns about how immigration enforcement actions are being carried out.
She further asked, “Now raise your hand if any of you were not even asked to prove that you were US citizens during your detention. Not a single one of you were even asked about your citizenship status, making it clear that DHS agents simply don’t care that they’re arresting US citizens.”