Texas businessman expelled from Church, gym over anti-India immigration post

A 30-year-old Texas businessman and owner of Boundaries Coffee in suburban Dallas, Daniel Keene, faced severe backlash after posting a video on X in early September showing a local Ganesh Chaturthi procession. In the now-deleted post, he criticised Indian immigrants and called for ending H-1B visas, stating, "We have to cancel the H-1Bs. I want my kids to grow up in America. Not India." The post went viral, leading to his expulsion from his church and gym, significant business losses, and alleged extortion threats. Despite the controversy, Keene remains unapologetic, claiming his intent was to highlight the policy's real-world impact.

His post quickly attracted backlash from Indian American communities, many of whom accused Keene of xenophobia and religious intolerance. The video, reportedly shot by his wife, showed a religious street procession that temporarily blocked their path while driving through the neighbourhood.

After the outrage on social media, elders at Keene's Baptist church reportedly asked him to apologise for what they described as a "sinful" act.

Keene refused, stating that he stood by his views on immigration and cultural identity.

Keene insisted elders at The Trails Church in Celina directly asked him to leave the congregation, although officials said the couple ultimately asked to be removed, Newsweek reported.

Keene backed his post and told Blaze Media News he did not think apologising for the post was "appropriate."

"As far as the content, I stand behind it. That's the policy position I stand behind," he was quoted as saying by Texas-based news outlet, Blaze News.

GYM ALSO REVOKED KEENE'S MEMBERSHIP

Keene also lost his gym membership at CrossFit Prosper, which cited a violation of its core values of inclusion.

Gym owner Ken Williams told Newsweek that the decision was not political but based on Keene's own public statements that he had "nothing in common" with the Indian community in his town.

"We would take the same approach if a similar situation arose involving any other cultural or community group, as our commitment to inclusivity and respect applies to everyone," CrossFit Prosper gym owner Ken Williams told Newsweek.

DANIEL KEENE REMAINS DEFIANT

Despite being called out, Keene remains unapologetic. In interviews, he argued that his comments were about policy, not people.

"There's no racial animosity in the post and there's no racial animosity for me at all personally," Keene told Newsweek.

"The objection is about the policy, the mass amount of immigration into specific areas, the sheer volume into small, dense areas," he added.

"It's not about skin colour or anything," Newsweek quoted the businessman as saying. "It's about what kind of country do you want to leave your kids, and do you have the right to object to the policies that are seemingly affecting my children? That was kind of my concern," he concluded.

In his letter to the Church, Keene raised seven points and challenged his expulsion. He defended his stance and claimed that it was not about race or religion, rather about immigration via an H-1B visa changing the dynamics of his neighbourhood.

ANTI-INDIA RACISM RISING: REPORT

Keene's comments and the backlash they sparked come amid what experts are calling a "disturbing surge" in anti-Indian racism across the US.

According to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Organised Hate, hostility toward Indian Americans on social media has sharply risen in recent months, with nearly 190 million views generated by 381 posts in August alone—many coinciding with the U.S.-India tariff dispute, according to Newsweek report.

- Ends