New Delhi: Attacks on Indian nationals in the United States rose sharply since US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in 2025, according to data released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, with reported incidents in 2025 already exceeding the total recorded in any of the previous four years.
In a written response to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday from Kerala MP Jose K. Mani, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh said the government recorded 14 reported attacks on Indian nationals in the United States in 2025, up from 11 in 2024. The ministry’s figures show a marked rise from earlier years: 1 reported attack in 2021, 6 in 2022 and 1 in 2023, respectively.
The data, compiled from information available with the ministry and Indian diplomatic missions, also covered reported attacks, hate crimes, discrimination and violence involving Indian nationals and people of Indian origin in Canada and the United Kingdom over the past five years.
Canada recorded the highest overall number of reported incidents during the period, with 36 cases between 2021 and 2025, followed closely by the United States with 33 and the United Kingdom with 16. Canada’s reported cases rose from 4 in 2021 to a peak of 10 in 2023 before declining to 6 in 2025. In the United Kingdom, reported incidents increased from none in 2021 to 9 in 2023 before falling to 2 in 2025.
The rise of MAGA-aligned nationalism has fueled increasing anti-Indian sentiment in the US, with some far-right groups portraying Indian immigrants as outsiders who threaten American jobs and identity. This rhetoric has led to growing online hate, racial slurs, and calls to restrict or deport Indian immigrants, particularly targeting H-1B visa holders and prominent Indian Americans.
“January, after Trump’s return, saw an “alarming surge” in online hate against South Asians on platforms such as 4chan, the Elon Musk-owned X, and Reddit,” a Lowy Institute 2025 report noted.
A 2025 CNN report noted how “Indian immigrants and Indian Americans — or anyone perceived as Indian — were the latest target of a growing anti-migrant movement in the US and around the world.”
According to the report, the most persistent anti-Indian sentiment online revolves around the H-1B visa program, where Indians are the largest beneficiaries. The program allows highly skilled foreign workers to enter the United States for specialised jobs, but it has become a source of division among Trump supporters. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused India of widespread immigration-related fraud, claiming there is “a lot of cheating on immigration policies,” the report stated.
The India-US relationship also faced strains over the past year after Washington imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, while closer US engagement with Pakistan has also complicated ties.
India-Canada ties too remained tense under former PM Justin Trudeau. The previous Canadian administration led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clashed with the Indian government numerous times over national security issues as Trudeau accused Indian officials of being linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The accusations led to a breakdown in ties between the two countries. The relationship has since improved since Mark Carney assumed the leadership of the Liberal Party in March 2025.
According to a report by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, hate crimes targeting South Asians rose by 143 per cent between 2019 and 2022. In 2022, 1 in 4 South Asian Canadians reported experiencing discrimination or harassment, the report further stated.
(Edited by Archishman Ganguly)