US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly responded to racist remarks against Indians and Indian Americans in the United States, saying such comments are made by “stupid people” and should be taken seriously.
Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi alongside India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Rubio rejected hateful rhetoric aimed at Indians and defended the US as a welcoming country for immigrants.
“I’ll take that very seriously about the comments,” Rubio said while responding to a question on racist remarks faced by Indians in the US.
“I’m sure there are people who have made comments online and in other places because every country in the world has stupid people. I’m sure there are stupid people here; there are stupid people in the United States who make dumb comments all the time,” he added.
Rubio Says US Has Benefited From Immigration
Rubio stressed that the United States has historically benefited from immigrants from across the world, including Indians.
“Our nation has been enriched by people who have come to our country from all over the world, become Americans, assimilated into our way of life, and contributed greatly,” he said.
He described the US as “a very welcoming country,” while emphasizing the contribution of immigrant communities to American society.
Responds to Questions on New US Immigration Policy
Rubio also addressed concerns over new US immigration rules that require some immigrants living legally in the country to leave and apply for permanent residency from abroad.
He said the changes are part of a broader reform of the immigration system and are not aimed specifically at India.
“We’ve had a migratory crisis in the United States. This is not because of India,” Rubio said.
He claimed that over 20 million people had entered the US illegally in recent years and said Washington was trying to modernise its immigration framework.
“The US is undergoing a process of reforming the system by which we choose how many people come into our country, who comes in, and when they come in,” Rubio said. “It is not a system that is targeted at India. It’s being applied globally.”
India-US Ties Discussed During Visit
Rubio is currently on a four-day visit to India and has held meetings with senior Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During his meeting with Modi, the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation in defence, trade, strategic technologies, and energy security.
Rubio highlighted the importance of India-US relations, describing both countries as the world’s largest democracies with shared interests and growing strategic ties.
