Anti-immigration vigilante targets Telugu woman
A Telugu-origin woman in the US was falsely accused of visa fraud by an anti-immigration social media account, but a federal prosecutor confirmed she is a naturalised US citizen.
A senior federal prosecutor in the United States has dismissed a social media claim against a Telugu-origin woman, stating that she was a naturalised US citizen and not on a student visa as alleged.
The controversy began after an online account “CyberGreen09”, known by critics as an anti-immigration "vigilante", shared the woman's dance video and claimed she had been a "forever F-1 student since 2014".
“Meet Sadhana Gollapudi, a forever F1 student since 2014. Sadhana enjoys traditional barefoot crab dancing in Houston, Texas. For 12 years, she has played the student visa game, enrolling in multiple programs. Works as a dancer and cash tutor violating her visa,” his tweet read.
The post spread across social media, with many users repeating the allegation, making vile and racist comments and sharing her personal details across the internet.
Responding to the post, Aaron Reitz, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, clarified that the claims were false. He said the woman was a naturalised US citizen and is not on an F-1 student visa.
“My office looked. She’s a naturalised US citizen, not here on a student visa. As US Atty over Houston, I take visa fraud seriously. We prosecute it to the fullest. Neither illegal aliens nor those who obtain legal status illegally are welcome on American soil”, he wrote.
The statement has drawn attention to the growing problem of online vigilante groups that attempt to identify immigrants, publicly accuse them of violating immigration laws and encourage harassment without verifying the facts.
Social media platforms have become a key battleground for anti-immigrant narratives. Incidents of online doxxing frequently lead to waves of online abuse directed at Indian students, workers and immigrants, with several people questioning their legitimacy and calling for stricter immigration controls.
Immigration consultants said such actions are dangerous and should not be encouraged. Rajeswar Rao, an immigration consultant, said: "No individual or social media group has the authority to investigate or publicly accuse someone of violating immigration laws.”
“Sharing a person's identity, photographs or private information without evidence can amount to doxxing and can expose victims to harassment, threats and emotional distress. Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of government agencies, not online vigilantes," he said.
He also added that people who become victims of doxxing should preserve screenshots, links and other evidence before reporting abusive content to the social media platform, and if they receive threats or believe their safety is at risk, they should immediately contact local law enforcement.
