Texas Man Removed From Church After H-1B Visa Comments Sparks Immigration Debate and Community Backlash

A Texas resident, Daniel Keene, has been removed from his church following controversial remarks about a Ganesh Chaturthi procession in Dallas. Despite facing significant backlash, Keene maintains he will not apologize for his statements.

His original, now-deleted post stated: "We have to cancel the H-1Bs. I want my kids to grow up in America. Not India." The video subsequently went viral, reportedly resulting in serious repercussions for Keene and his family.

According to Newsweek, these consequences included doxxing, threats, and an alleged extortion attempt by someone claiming to represent millions of Indian-Americans who demanded $20,000.

The controversy led to Keene's coffee shop, Boundaries Coffee, being targeted with fake reviews. Additionally, his gym terminated his membership, and The Trails Church, his place of worship, confronted him regarding the post. After multiple discussions, Keene reported that church leaders asked him to leave when he refused to repent.

In an extensive post on X, Keene described his disagreement with church leadership, claiming he endured over seven hours of questioning. He stated that his offers to provide character references from Indian friends were declined, and church elders refused to document his alleged "sin" in writing.

"Some facts the elders don't bother disputing," Keene wrote, outlining several points: His post was deemed worthy of church discipline; he was effectively asked to leave the church on September 24 following a two-hour meeting with seven elders and a staff member; despite his willingness to step down from leadership and desire to remain a member, his attempts to provide evidence of anti-racist posts and witnesses were rejected; and his repeated requests for written explanation of his alleged offense went unanswered.

Keene claimed he was "hammered for hours" and pressured to apologize for his comments about Indian immigration, but he refused. "That's the policy position I stand behind," he said, adding that while he was willing to clarify his intent or engage with those offended, he would not retract his statement.

He reported that church leaders told him he was on "the path of discipline," which could result in his removal from membership without repentance. Keene added that church elders implied he was "not a Christian anymore" because he would not confess to what he believed was not a sin.

In an interview with Newsweek, Keene expressed no regret about his post. "It's not about skin colour or anything. 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 explained.

"I wanted to bring awareness to the policy effect on the ground. I did not want to get death threats," he added.

The Trails Church confirmed to Newsweek that it had met with Keene and his family "to discuss the gospel mandate to love our neighbours as Christ has loved his church" and stated it had asked them to consider whether they could "joyfully continue as members." The church further noted that it subsequently received a request from the Keenes to remove them from membership.