U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday dismissed racist comments targeting Indians in the United States as the actions of “stupid people”, saying such remarks do not reflect America’s broader character as an immigrant-friendly nation.
Speaking at a joint press conference in New Delhi alongside External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Rubio was asked about racist comments directed at Indians in the U.S.
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“I’m sure that there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people,” Rubio said.
“I’m sure there’s stupid people here. There are stupid people in the United States that make dumb comments all the time,” he added.
Rubio said the United States remained a welcoming country whose growth and success had been strengthened by immigrants from across the world.
“The United States is a very welcoming country. Our nation has been enriched by people who come to our country from all over the world, have become Americans, have assimilated into our way of life, and it’s contributed greatly,” he said.
The remarks came during Rubio’s visit to India for bilateral discussions covering strategic ties, trade and technology cooperation between the two countries.
Responding to questions on recent changes affecting J1, F1 and H-1B visas, Rubio said the overhaul of the U.S. immigration system was a global exercise and not aimed specifically at India.
“The changes that are happening now, or the modernisation of our migration system into the United States, are not India-specific. It is global, it's being applied across the world,” he said.
Rubio acknowledged the contribution of Indian businesses and professionals to the American economy, noting that Indian companies had invested more than $20 billion in the United States.
“We want that number to continue to increase,” he said.
The U.S. secretary of state said Washington was reforming its immigration system following what he described as a migration crisis in recent years, with more than 20 million people entering the country illegally.
“Everything that you do as a country needs to be in your national interest, and that includes your immigration policy,” Rubio said.
He added that periods of transition during immigration reforms were likely to create “friction points” and temporary difficulties, but said the goal was to create a more efficient and sustainable system.
“It is not a system that is targeted at India,” Rubio said. “We think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system.”
