‘End H-1B Visas’: Nikki Haley’s son Nalin calls for immigration freeze, slams foreign workers
In a recent interview with the London-based outlet UnHerd, the 24-year-old argued that foreign workers are taking jobs that should go to young Americans.
- Nov 11, 2025,
- Updated Nov 11, 2025 7:17 PM IST
Nalin Haley, son of former UN Ambassador and Republican leader Nikki Haley, has ignited controversy with his comments on immigration, calling for the United States to end H-1B visas and even halt legal immigration altogether.
In a recent interview with the London-based outlet UnHerd, the 24-year-old argued that foreign workers are taking jobs that should go to young Americans. “My friend group — all graduated, great degrees from great schools — it’s been a year and a half, and not one of them has a job,” he said, expressing frustration over a tightening job market.
Nalin, who has often voiced strong political opinions online, went further, saying the federal government should suspend all foreign aid “until every American has secure employment, healthcare, and a stable living situation.” He also lamented the rising cost of housing, saying homeownership feels increasingly out of reach for his generation. “My parents bought their first house for $90,000. That same house is probably worth $400,000 now. How can we compete?” he said.
The younger Haley’s views stand in sharp contrast to his mother’s long-standing support for legal and merit-based immigration. Nikki Haley, born to Indian immigrants who moved to the U.S. from Punjab in 1969, has repeatedly described legal immigration as central to the American story.
During the interview, Nalin also took aim at British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan, saying he should be “thrown out of the U.S.” “No, I quite literally mean that,” he told UnHerd. “If you hate America, you shouldn’t be in America. Everyone wants to make it complicated, but it’s simple — if you don’t like it, get out.”
He further dismissed Indian-origin Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy’s call for the GOP to move away from identity politics after recent losses in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Nalin’s blunt response: “End H-1B visas,” referring to the program used by U.S. tech companies to hire foreign professionals, over 70 percent of whom are from India.
Before the UnHerd interview, Nalin had made similar arguments online, sparking a fiery exchange with Hasan earlier this year. The argument began after Nalin posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling for an end to “mass immigration.” He wrote that overcrowding, a fragile economy, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence made it “irresponsible” to allow more immigrants into the country.
“I don’t care where you’re from — even if it’s Canada — we have to stop mass migration,” Nalin posted. “It’s irresponsible to let in immigrants when companies already aren’t hiring, AI is replacing jobs, and the economy is fragile. The last thing we need is foreigners taking away jobs Americans can do.”
In the same thread, he argued that states should be allowed to deny H-1B visas and supported the stricter checks introduced during the Trump administration, which recently imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications.
Hasan, founder of the media platform Zeteo, hit back by pointing out the irony of Nalin’s position, noting that his grandfather, Ajit Singh Randhawa, migrated from Punjab, India, to the U.S. in 1969 — a period when immigration laws were tougher and social acceptance lower. Randhawa, a biologist with a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, later joined Voorhees College in South Carolina as a professor and remained there until his passing last year.
Hasan, whose parents migrated from Hyderabad, India, to the U.K., drew parallels between their family histories to underline what he called the hypocrisy of Nalin’s anti-immigration rhetoric.
Nalin shot back sharply: “This ain’t 1969, bud. And you should be denaturalized. All you do is complain about America anyway.”
The online exchange went viral, reviving questions about immigration hypocrisy, the impact of AI on the job market, and how second-generation immigrants are reshaping America’s political narrative.
Nalin Haley, son of former UN Ambassador and Republican leader Nikki Haley, has ignited controversy with his comments on immigration, calling for the United States to end H-1B visas and even halt legal immigration altogether.
In a recent interview with the London-based outlet UnHerd, the 24-year-old argued that foreign workers are taking jobs that should go to young Americans. “My friend group — all graduated, great degrees from great schools — it’s been a year and a half, and not one of them has a job,” he said, expressing frustration over a tightening job market.
Nalin, who has often voiced strong political opinions online, went further, saying the federal government should suspend all foreign aid “until every American has secure employment, healthcare, and a stable living situation.” He also lamented the rising cost of housing, saying homeownership feels increasingly out of reach for his generation. “My parents bought their first house for $90,000. That same house is probably worth $400,000 now. How can we compete?” he said.
The younger Haley’s views stand in sharp contrast to his mother’s long-standing support for legal and merit-based immigration. Nikki Haley, born to Indian immigrants who moved to the U.S. from Punjab in 1969, has repeatedly described legal immigration as central to the American story.
During the interview, Nalin also took aim at British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan, saying he should be “thrown out of the U.S.” “No, I quite literally mean that,” he told UnHerd. “If you hate America, you shouldn’t be in America. Everyone wants to make it complicated, but it’s simple — if you don’t like it, get out.”
He further dismissed Indian-origin Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy’s call for the GOP to move away from identity politics after recent losses in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Nalin’s blunt response: “End H-1B visas,” referring to the program used by U.S. tech companies to hire foreign professionals, over 70 percent of whom are from India.
Before the UnHerd interview, Nalin had made similar arguments online, sparking a fiery exchange with Hasan earlier this year. The argument began after Nalin posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling for an end to “mass immigration.” He wrote that overcrowding, a fragile economy, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence made it “irresponsible” to allow more immigrants into the country.
“I don’t care where you’re from — even if it’s Canada — we have to stop mass migration,” Nalin posted. “It’s irresponsible to let in immigrants when companies already aren’t hiring, AI is replacing jobs, and the economy is fragile. The last thing we need is foreigners taking away jobs Americans can do.”
In the same thread, he argued that states should be allowed to deny H-1B visas and supported the stricter checks introduced during the Trump administration, which recently imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications.
Hasan, founder of the media platform Zeteo, hit back by pointing out the irony of Nalin’s position, noting that his grandfather, Ajit Singh Randhawa, migrated from Punjab, India, to the U.S. in 1969 — a period when immigration laws were tougher and social acceptance lower. Randhawa, a biologist with a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, later joined Voorhees College in South Carolina as a professor and remained there until his passing last year.
Hasan, whose parents migrated from Hyderabad, India, to the U.K., drew parallels between their family histories to underline what he called the hypocrisy of Nalin’s anti-immigration rhetoric.
Nalin shot back sharply: “This ain’t 1969, bud. And you should be denaturalized. All you do is complain about America anyway.”
The online exchange went viral, reviving questions about immigration hypocrisy, the impact of AI on the job market, and how second-generation immigrants are reshaping America’s political narrative.