British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan took a sharp swipe at Nalin Haley, son of Republican leader and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, after the latter posted an anti-immigration message on social media, reminding him, “Your grandfather came from India.”
The exchange, which unfolded on X (formerly Twitter), quickly went viral and sparked fresh debate over immigration, privilege, and identity in the United States.
It began when Nalin Haley argued that the US should “stop mass migration,” claiming that immigrants were taking away jobs from Americans and worsening economic instability.
“I don’t care where you are from. Even in Canada, we must stop mass migration. It’s irresponsible to let in immigrants when companies already aren’t hiring, AI is replacing many jobs, and the economy is fragile. The last thing we need is foreigners taking away jobs Americans can do,” he wrote on X.
His post quickly drew attention, but not for the reasons he might have expected. Mehdi Hasan, a British-American journalist and commentator, entered the conversation with a sharp reminder about Nalin’s own family history.
“Your own grandfather immigrated to the US in 1969 — a time when there was also anti-immigrant sentiment and restrictive quotas,” Hasan wrote, referencing Ajit Singh Randhawa, Nikki Haley’s father, who came to the United States from Punjab.
Nalin fired back, escalating the exchange. “This ain’t 1969, bud. And you should be denaturalised. All you do is complain about America anyway,” he responded, a remark that sparked widespread criticism online, with many accusing him of hypocrisy.
Hasan replied: “Imagine if someone had said that about your grandfather. Shameful.”
Unfazed, Nalin doubled down, insisting, “My grandfather didn’t complain about America.” Hasan countered by posting an excerpt from Nikki Haley’s own book, in which she described her family’s early struggles adjusting to life in the United States.
That prompted another heated response from Nalin. “Explaining their struggles back then ≠ complaining. In her same book, she mentions that she and my grandparents firmly believed that the US is the greatest country on earth. America has given you so many opportunities, and you use them to constantly trash it while making A LOT of money doing it. Why the hell are you here if all you do is complain and want to change America? Denaturalised isn’t enough; anyone with this mindset should be deported. Including you,” he wrote.
The online spat quickly drew wider attention, with commentators and social media users pointing to the irony of an immigrant’s descendant attacking others for seeking the same opportunity his own family once had.
Nalin Haley on H-1B visas
The clash came just days after the Trump campaign announced a proposal to raise H-1B visa fees to $100,000, reigniting debates around immigration reform and foreign work permits.
Nalin, who has publicly supported former President Donald Trump, went further to suggest that US states should be allowed to deny H-1B visas altogether.
