The American Indian Advocacy Council (IAAC), a community advocacy group, released a comprehensive 10-page guide titled “Know Your Rights.” The initiative comes as Indian Americans report increased targeting, online harassment, and institutional hostility in the wake of the 2025 presidential transition period.
The 10-page handbook advises on things like what to say if ICE shows up at the door and things an employer could never do to an H-1B employee, among other things. In Post It is intended for individuals with all types of visas including H-1B, H-4, F-1, green card holders, students, parents, and citizens.
IACC Guide
In the guide, the council claimed that the Indian-American community is facing a sharp rise in online hate, targeted harassment and institutional hostility, and hence the guide was created as a practical resource for community members. He highlighted a sharp rise in anti-India sentiment across the United States, noting that there was a 115% rise in anti-Indian slurs online from 2023 to 2025, 50% of Indian Americans reported personal discrimination since 2025, more than 5 Hindu temples vandalized since 2023, and more than 280 million views of anti-India posts.
The guide also presented the Texas city of Frisco as a case study and described it as a “flashpoint” for anti-Indian hostility. It alleged that the city orchestrated a coordinated far-right campaign alleging “Indian takeover” and H-1B visa fraud. In recent months, several far-right activists, none of whom are Frisco residents, have shown up at City Council meetings to speak out against the presence of the American Indian community.
The IACC stated that American Indians are protected from discrimination, harassment, and hate crimes under “multiple layers” of federal law, including:
- Civil Rights Act of 1964: Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is prohibited
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Employment): Employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is prohibited
- Fair Housing Act: Prohibits discrimination in housing, rent, purchase, financing, and advertising on the basis of race, color, national origin, and religion
- Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act: It is a federal crime to cause bodily injury because of the race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability of the victim
- Section 1983- Civil Rights Claims: Allows anyone to sue a state or local government official in federal court for a violation of their or their federal constitutional rights
- Fourteenth Amendment: No State may deny any person equal protection of the laws
He instructed people to call 911 if they experience a hate incident, which is defined as an act of bias rather than a crime. It is also advisable to write down the exact date, time and location and obtain photographs or videos of the recording and medical record of injuries and witnesses. Complaints were proposed to be filed with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the Texas Workforce Commission, the FBI’s Dallas field office, and others. The release of the evidence on X (formerly Twitter) sparked polarized debate. “Tonight @iaacouncil releases something I wish had existed when I started – a 10-page ‘Know Your Rights’ guide for every Indian in America,” one user wrote while sharing the guide. However, there were others who criticized him. “These are your illegal aliens, the rats and leeches, fleeing India and breaking into another country. Keep pretending you don’t see the water you’re swimming in,” one user said while sharing a video of a group of alleged Indian nationals crossing the US border, highlighting the hostility the guide claims to address.
