Why a post about a Meta layoff triggered a wave of anti-Indian racism

An X post about an Indian Meta engineer allegedly receiving a layoff email while in Bengaluru triggered a wave of reactions about H-1B workers and immigration in the U.S. tech industry.

“His wife is on H-4. His kid is in 3rd grade in Seattle. His Bellevue apartment lease has 8 months left. His H-1B clock just started ticking — 60 days,” the May 21 post by user Shveta read. “Meta’s stock went up on the news. Zuck called it becoming more efficient.”

The post, which has drawn more than 2 million views, linked the alleged layoff to AI-driven restructuring in tech. “This is what AI transformation actually looks like for 2 lakh (200,000) Indians abroad,” Shveta wrote. “Ai impact on Indians abroad is highest.” The employee described in the post has not been publicly identified and his employment status has not been independently verified.

Reuters reported that Meta recently cut about 10% of its workforce and reassigned roughly 7,000 employees to AI-focused teams as part of a broader restructuring tied to automation and AI workflows.

The thread quickly drew hostile responses focused on immigration and foreign labor. One reply read: “That’s at least 3 fewer Indians.” Another said: “Dont care, time to go home.”

Several users argued that the worker’s situation reflected the risks of building a long-term life around a temporary visa. “The H-1B is a temporary visa,” one commenter wrote. “You did non-temporary things, and then lost your temporary job.” A separate reply stated: “You are here as a guest worker. A temporary position and you knew the risks before you took the job.”

Other responses openly blamed Indian workers for competition in the U.S. tech sector. “Now you know what it feels to be replaced by cheap labor,” one user wrote. Another post said: “We want you out. Go back to your country and make your own country better, we don’t want you here. America first.”

Other users criticized the hostility directed at the engineer and his family. “I feel deeply saddened by the hatred against Indians,” one commenter wrote. “I mean someone’s entire life turned upside down and people are celebrating it. They didn’t steal anyone’s job. They were there because of their merit.”

Some replies also focused on growing anxiety among Indian tech workers facing layoffs and AI-related restructuring. “My friend is in Seattle too,” one user wrote. “He said he’s currently working on a project that’ll displace him in 2 years. Mfs basically working for their own extinction.”

Several users also criticized corporations for benefiting financially from layoffs while workers face immigration uncertainty. “Meta’s stock went up on the news. Zuck called it becoming more efficient,” one commenter wrote. “This is the brutal reality of what ‘efficiency’ means for real families.”

Under U.S. immigration rules, many laid-off H-1B workers may receive a grace period of up to 60 days to find another sponsoring employer, change immigration status or leave the country. Because spouses and children on H-4 dependent visas are tied to the primary visa holder, a layoff can place an entire family’s legal residency at risk within weeks.

Indian nationals consistently account for the largest share of H-1B visa recipients in the U.S., particularly in software engineering and other tech-related jobs. The uncertainty surrounding H-1B status has become a growing source of anxiety for many Indian professionals, especially as visa processing delays and tighter screening measures continue to disrupt travel and employment plans.