Republican Congressman Brandon Gill has triggered fresh controversy after claiming that parts of his home state are going through what he called “Islamisation.” In a social media video, he said that visiting some malls in Texas “feels like you’re in Pakistan, not Dallas.”
Gill shared the clip with the caption, “Mass Islamic migration is killing the America we know and love.” In the video, he argued that demographic changes in parts of Dallas have changed the cultural identity of certain neighbourhoods.
“I hear from constituents all the time who are deeply concerned about the Islamisation of the Dallas area,” Gill said. He claimed residents are worried about mosques being built near land families have owned for generations and about what he described as “epic city compounds” transforming entire communities.
He added that when people visit local malls and feel like they are “in Pakistan, not Dallas, Texas,” it signals that communities and culture are being “fundamentally transformed.”
His remarks drew sharp reactions. Many, including members of the Muslim community in Texas, said the comments were alienating and did not reflect the inclusive character of the state. Critics argued that such statements promote stereotypes and unfairly target Muslim Americans.
Hasham Sarwar, a Pakistan-origin doctor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centre, responded by posting a photo of Gill posing with members of the Pakistani community while raising funds for his campaign.
British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan reshared the post and called Gill an “Islamophobic fascist,” questioning the irony of the situation and criticising those who had supported him.
This is not the first time Gill has made controversial remarks about Islam and immigration. Days earlier, he had claimed that Islam entered the United States through what he described as a “suicidal immigration system” and warned that “importing radical Islam will destroy America just like it’s destroying Europe.”
In June 2025, he also targeted Zohran Mamdani, then a New York City mayoral candidate, after a video showed Mamdani eating rice with his hands. Gill told him to “go back to the Third World,” writing that “civilised people in America don’t eat like this.”
Last year, Gill shared a social media post comparing California in the 1960s with the present day, arguing that “mass migration” had made the country “unrecognisable.” Critics highlighted the irony that his wife is of Indian origin.
He also reacted to a large Gujarati volleyball event in Dallas, stating that America thrives because it does not have a caste system and warning against “importing foreign class allegiances.”
Gill was elected to Congress in 2024. He currently serves on the House Judiciary, Budget and Oversight Committees, including the DOGE Subcommittee. He has said his focus areas include border security, anti-abortion policies, cutting government waste and strengthening the US economy.