Republican Congressman Brandon Gill has ignited a fierce backlash after alleging that parts of Texas are undergoing "Islamisation," going so far as to claim that visiting certain malls in his home state "feels like you're in Pakistan, not Dallas."
In a social media post captioned "Mass Islamic migration is killing the America we know and love," the first-term lawmaker argued that demographic shifts in Dallas have fundamentally altered local neighbourhoods, citing constituent concerns over new mosques and transformed communities.
The comments have drawn flak by Muslim community members in Texas and others who describe them as alienating, dangerous, and promoting harmful stereotypes. The hypocrisy of the statements was quickly highlighted by Dr Hasham Sarwar, a doctor of Pakistani origin, who shared a photo of Gill posing with members of the Pakistani community while collecting campaign funds. British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan amplified the post, calling Gill a "hypocritical" "Islamophobic fascist" while also criticising the Pakistani-Americans featured in the picture for supporting him.
This is not the first time Gill has made controversial remarks regarding immigration and culture. Just days prior, he argued that importing Islam via a "suicidal immigration system" would destroy America, similar to his claim that it is "destroying Europe."
In June 2025, he drew ire for telling Zohran Mamdani, then a candidate for New York City Mayor, to "go back to the Third World" for eating rice with his hands, declaring that "civilised people in America don’t eat like this."
Critics have also pointed out the irony in his opposition to mass migration from India, given that his own wife is of Indian origin, and noted his warnings against "importing foreign class allegiances" following a large Gujarati volleyball event in Dallas. Gill, elected in 2024, serves on several high-profile House committees focused on border security and government efficiency.
Also read: US Census Bureau may include citizenship question in survey form
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