NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
WASHINGTON DC, July 3, 2026 — Congressman Shri Thanedar has sharply criticized fellow lawmaker Brandon Gill, saying the Texas Republican’s recent reference to Indian Americans as “7-Eleven workers” is the reason many people view him as racist—not, as Gill claims, because political opponents are trying to silence him.
The exchange unfolded after Gill posted on X that accusations of racism no longer intimidate conservatives. Accompanying his post was a graphic quoting him as saying: “The left has one debate tactic: call you a racist and pray you shut up. I never will.”
Thanedar, an Indian American Democrat from Michigan, responded by pointing to Gill’s earlier immigration-related post, in which the congressman wrote: “We don’t need to import 7-Eleven workers from India or anywhere across the globe. Hire Americans.”
“No one is calling you racist as an attempt to scare you into shutting up,” Thanedar wrote. “We call you racist because you refer to Indian Americans as ‘7-Eleven workers.'”
Thanedar went on to accuse Gill of exploiting anti-immigrant sentiment for political gain, despite being married to an Indian American.
“But the fact that you married an Indian American shows that you’re just a grifter pandering to a racist base,” Thanedar wrote. “How pathetic it must be to be that cheap.”
Gill has not publicly responded to Thanedar’s remarks.
Gill’s original “7-Eleven workers” comment came during a debate over U.S. immigration policy and drew criticism from Indian Americans and immigrant advocates, who said it relied on a long-standing stereotype linking Indians to convenience store jobs. Many argued that the remark diminished the diverse contributions of Indian immigrants across professions, including medicine, engineering, technology, academia, entrepreneurship, and public service.
Supporters of Gill, however, argued that his broader message was about reducing immigration and prioritizing employment opportunities for American workers, rather than targeting any particular ethnic group.
The latest exchange adds to a growing list of controversies surrounding Gill’s comments on immigration and cultural identity. Earlier this year, he drew criticism after posting, “Civilized people in America don’t eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World,” in response to a video showing then-New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani eating with his hands. Critics accused Gill of disparaging cultural practices common across South Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, while supporters defended his remarks as an argument for cultural assimilation.
Thanedar, who immigrated to the United States from India and became a U.S. citizen, has frequently spoken out against rhetoric he believes unfairly targets immigrants and minority communities. Gill, a first-term Republican from Texas, has emerged as a vocal advocate of stricter immigration policies and the “America First” agenda.
No one is calling you racist as an attempt to scare you into shutting up, we call you racist because you refer to Indian Americans as "7-eleven workers."
— Congressman Shri Thanedar (@RepShriThanedar) July 3, 2026
But the fact that you married and Indian American shows that you're just a grifter pandering to a racist base.
How pathetic… https://t.co/TdIwpSBySM pic.twitter.com/nn55Vb4Q7Q
