NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Frisco, TX, February 5, 2026: Claims of an alleged “Indian takeover” of Frisco dominated a heated City Council meeting this week, after a resident publicly questioned the growing political influence of Indian Americans and accused city leaders of favoring one community — remarks that drew a sharp and emotional response from Burt Thakur, the city’s first councilman of Indian origin.
During the public comment period, Marc Palasciano, who describes himself as a whistleblower, raised concerns about political donations made to Mayor Jeff Cheney. Palasciano suggested that the number of Indian-American donors pointed to possible favoritism at City Hall.
“A lot of Frisco residents have reached out to me,” Palasciano said. “They want you to answer questions about why some of the mayor’s biggest donors are Indians that don’t live in Frisco.” He went further, asking whether city officials were “being bought out to ignore an Indian takeover.”
Palasciano also criticized the federal H-1B visa program, linking it to Frisco’s rapid population growth and changing demographics. City officials have repeatedly stated that local governments have no authority over federal immigration programs.
Turning directly to Thakur, Palasciano criticized the councilman’s past positions on immigration. “You ran on closing immigration loopholes,” he said, “but you want to ignore the H-1B loophole that has exploded Frisco’s Indian population.” He added, “You said Indians are 1.6 percent of America but 33 percent of Frisco. Doesn’t that seem odd?”
Thakur later rejected the accusations, calling the language divisive and misleading. “Please, feel free to tell me what percentage of the population is allowed to be Indian,” he said.
He stressed that Indian Americans are exercising the same legal rights as any other residents. “If people have done stuff legally, it’s something that is their right to do,” Thakur said, referring to campaign donations. On immigration policy, he added, “H-1B is something that I have no control of. That’s a federal government responsibility.”
Thakur also framed immigrant participation as central to American democracy. “Indians who came to America upheld the American Dream,” he said, “because the American Dream needs participation.”
The meeting drew a packed audience. Some residents echoed concerns about immigration and rapid change, while others defended Frisco’s diversity and highlighted the role immigrant communities play in the local economy and civic life.
Much of Palasciano’s speech focused on T-Mobile, his former employer. He said he lost his job during layoffs and accused the company of outsourcing jobs overseas while cutting positions in Texas. He criticized the company for opening a technology hub in India while laying off American workers and claimed Americans were sent abroad to train foreign employees.
He also made several additional allegations about the company’s workplace policies and actions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those claims were not addressed during the meeting.
Frisco is among the fastest-growing cities in the United States, with a rising Indian-American population fueled largely by jobs in technology, healthcare and professional services across North Texas. As the city continues to expand, questions of growth, representation and identity are increasingly surfacing in local politics.
Cover photo credit: Marc Palasciano/ @marc_palasciano and Burt Thakur.
I expose Tyranny in Texas.
— Marc Palasciano (@marc_palasciano) February 5, 2026
Frisco is full of corrupted leaders who sold out their city to Corporations and making themselves wealthier.
We’re living in the United States of Corporations. https://t.co/R8kPBHFlMj pic.twitter.com/gg07Z2Ml44
