- By Supratik Das
- Sun, 28 Sep 2025 03:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
An online hate campaign targeting Indian H-1B visa holders has come to light after US President Donald Trump announced a steep USD 100,000 fee for skilled worker visas. Far-right groups on social media platforms launched “Operation Clog The Toilet,” a racist initiative designed to block Indians from returning to the United States.
What Is The ‘Clog The Toilet’ Campaign?
It started on sites like 4chan and Telegram, where users encouraged each other to sabotage Indians who possess H-1B visas from traveling. The strategy was straightforward but malicious; trolls searched India–US popular routes, booked seats, and intentionally left checkout pages unfinished. That took seats temporarily, leaving them unavailable for actual passengers and driving fares up.
The online forums were filled with abusive slang such as "Jeets", a South Asian racial slur. Some of the posts went a step further, advocating violence and openly rejoicing at attempts to create mayhem in air bookings.
Online messages included hate speech like, "Kill every jeet you see on sight."Whatever it takes to make a turd free West," and some of them even went on to say, "Indians smell like shit." These insults accompanied demands that they harass airline systems, and this reflected how racism and xenophobia were being weaponized against immigrant communities.
Real-World Impact On Travellers
While airlines like Air India denied facing large-scale disruptions, several passengers reported difficulty securing tickets. One Indian-origin software engineer from Texas, vacationing in Andhra Pradesh, told AFP that booking websites repeatedly crashed and fares more than doubled within hours. “It was hard for me to book a ticket and I paid a huge fare for the panic travel,” she said. Her one-way ticket to Dallas cost nearly USD 2,000, more than double her original return fare.
Amid growing panic, the White House later clarified that the new visa fee would apply only to fresh H-1B petitions and not to current holders returning from abroad. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged USD 100,000 to re-enter.” The clarification eased concerns but could not undo the harassment many Indian workers faced in that time.
• A USD 100,000 one-time fee has been introduced for all new H-1B visa petitions.
• The charge will not apply to renewals or to those already holding valid H-1B visas.
• The new rule takes effect in the upcoming visa lottery cycle.
• A new “Gold Card Residency Programme” worth $1 million was also unveiled for wealthy immigrants.
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified that applications filed before September 21 will not be impacted.
Why It Matters?
Indian professionals account for nearly three-fourths of all H-1 B visas issued each year, making them the largest affected group. Research by Indiaspora and Boston Consulting Group estimates that Indian Americans contribute nearly 6 per cent of total US income tax revenue, amounting to USD 250–300 billion annually.
The “Clog The Toilet” campaign highlights how xenophobic hate can spill over from anonymous forums into real-world consequences, targeting hardworking immigrant communities that play a crucial role in the US economy.