The Hindu American Foundation has criticized Texas politicians for linking the recent Austin shootings to immigration and skilled worker visas (H1-B), calling the response “absurd political theater.”In a post on Twitter, the advocacy group countered efforts to link the attack to the H-1B visa program, saying the gunman was not a visa holder but a long-term US citizen. The group said: “Texas politicians are blaming H-1B visas for the Austin shootings. The suspect was a US citizen who was a long-term resident of the country, not a foreign worker on a visa.”It says, “Using a tragedy to attack skilled immigrants? This is not policy. This is absurd political theater. Please. Understand this.”The comments came after the mass shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, in which 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne opened fire outside a crowded bar, killing two people and wounding 14 others before being shot by police.Reports revealed that Diagne was originally from Senegal and had entered the United States in 2000 on a tourist visa. He later became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 after marrying a US citizen and was naturalized in 2013.Despite this, the shootings led many Texas Republicans to exert political pressure to halt immigration programs. More than 70 Republican lawmakers signed a letter to Congress urging sweeping sanctions, including an immediate halt to the issuance of H-1B visas, a program that allows US companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals in specialized fields.In the letter, the lawmakers argued that tighter controls were necessary for national security and called for a freeze on immigration until authorities can better track and vet individuals entering the country. The demands also include fully funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and redirecting resources to identify potential threats already within the US.