Highlights:
- A 90-foot Hanuman statue at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, sparked political controversy.
- A Republican activist said “third-world aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America” and urged people to “stop the invasion.”
- The Hanuman statue was inaugurated in August 2024 and stands on private property funded by the Hindu community.
- Indian-Americans strongly pushed back, calling the remarks racist and defending their assimilation and legal rights.
- The debate expanded to include immigration policy and the H-1B visa program.
The Hanuman statue stands at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, part of the Houston metropolitan area. Known as the Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman, the statue was inaugurated in August 2024. Temple officials state it is the tallest statue of its kind in North America.
According to temple representatives, the Hanuman statue was constructed on privately owned land and financed through donations from the Hindu community. They describe it as a symbol of strength and devotion and refer to it as a “spiritual epicenter” intended to promote peace.
The controversy began when Carlos Turcios, a Republican activist from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, shared a video of the Hanuman statue on X. In his post, Turcios claimed that “third-world aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America” and urged people to “stop the invasion.”
The statement drew widespread attention and criticism.
Online backlash over Hanuman statue remarks
Indian-Americans and other social media users responded strongly to the activist’s comments about the Hanuman statue.
One user wrote: “It’s on private property, built by Hindus on land they own and with their own money. You lost the culture war years ago, and you’re about to lose the midterms, too. Your ‘America First’ grift is exposed as racist nostalgia.”
Another commenter addressed assimilation using household language data. The person wrote: “There are 41 million households that speak Spanish in the US. Yet there are no Indian languages in the top 10. Since household language is the strongest indicator of assimilation, you have a long way to go before your group is anywhere near the assimilation level of Indian-Americans.”
Many of the responses emphasized that the Hanuman statue is located on private property and does not involve public funds. Supporters framed it as an expression of religious freedom protected under US law.
Hanuman statue debate intersects with H-1B visa politics
The dispute over the Hanuman statue also revived discussion about immigration policy, particularly the H-1B visa program. The H-1B visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialized occupations.
Turcios has previously criticized the H-1B system and has claimed that Indian immigrants were “invading” cities such as Frisco, Texas. His comments about the Hanuman statue were viewed by many as consistent with those earlier statements.
Other conservative political figures have also taken positions on the visa program. Ron DeSantis, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Nalin Haley, son of Nikki Haley, have called for strong limits or bans on the program, arguing that it disadvantages American workers.
At the same time, several public figures associated with Republican politics identify as Hindu. These include Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, and Usha Vance.
Hanuman statue remains religious symbol amid controversy
Despite the online dispute, the Hanuman statue remains a central feature of worship at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple. Temple activities and public visits continue as scheduled.
For many in the Indian-American community, the Hanuman statue represents faith, cultural identity, and belonging. Community members have stressed that the structure is religious in purpose and not a political statement.
The controversy highlights ongoing national debates about immigration, religious freedom, and cultural identity. However, there have been no reported legal challenges to the Hanuman statue. It remains in place on private property, and temple officials continue to describe it as a space for devotion and community gathering.
