The Paradox of Nalin Haley: Nikki Haley’s Son Becomes Voice of Gen-Z Anti-Immigration Nationalism

Nalin Haley presents a striking contradiction. The 24-year-old son of former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, himself the grandson of Indian immigrants, has become one of the most vocal opponents of immigration in America—legal or illegal, skilled or unskilled, from India or anywhere else.

Over the past several months, through a series of interviews and social media posts, the recent college graduate has called for a complete ban on H-1B visas, an end to all legal immigration, and restrictions preventing naturalized citizens—people like his own grandparents—from holding public office in the United States.

His positions have sparked intense debate, particularly within the Indian-American community, which comprises a large portion of H-1B visa holders and has watched one of its most prominent families’ sons advocate for policies that would have excluded his own ancestors.

“Naturalized Citizens Should Not Hold Public Office”

Nalin’s most recent controversial statement came on November 19, 2025, during an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast. He argued “only those born in the United States should be allowed to hold public office” and called for reducing the number of foreign students in American universities.

“Naturalized citizens should not be able to hold public office. Growing up here is a big part of understanding the country,” Nalin told Carlson. “We need to stop and limit the amount of foreign students who are coming to universities. Some of them are spies for the foreign governments…But it is just that we should put our kids first.”

He also attacked dual citizenship. “We should also not allow dual citizenship because that is the stupidest idea. Because you are either American or not.” When Carlson asked whether American citizens should be allowed to serve in another country’s military, Nalin responded: “Oh gosh no. Forget about it. You can’t do that.”

American Bazaar noted the irony of these positions: Nalin’s grandfather, Ajit Singh Randhawa, originally from Punjab, immigrated to the United States more than 55 years ago. Randhawa earned a master’s degree in biology, completed a PhD at the University of British Columbia, and in 1969 joined the faculty at Voorhees College in South Carolina, where he remained until his death in June 2024.

Targeting H-1B Visas and Indian Professionals

Nalin has been particularly focused on eliminating H-1B visas—the skilled worker program that has been crucial for Indian professionals in technology, healthcare, and research sectors.

“I don’t care where you’re from—even if it’s Canada—we have to stop mass migration” … It’s irresponsible to let in immigrants when companies already aren’t hiring, AI is replacing jobs, and the economy is fragile. The last thing we need is foreigners taking away jobs Americans can do.”

In a November 2025 Fox News interview, Nalin “called for a complete ban on the H-1B program, arguing that it harms American graduates by prioritizing foreign workers over U.S.” citizens. “We are seeing kids graduate with six figures in debt and not having a job to show for it. My main friend group graduated with great degrees from great schools. It’s been a year and a half since graduation. Not one of them has a job. And when we look at all the other statistics, we see that 58% of recent college graduates are unemployed,” he told Fox News.

When pressed on whether his opposition to H-1B visas seemed contradictory given his Indian American background, Nalin said: “I mean, they shouldn’t be because I’ve seen how it’s affected my friends and those around me. At the end of the day, my loyalty is to America.”

Nalin then pivoted to a broader critique of immigration and assimilation. GG2.net quoted him saying: “What we saw with Obama is that we had a lot of immigrants coming here, and the thought was, ‘You don’t need to change; you don’t need to have your loyalty to America.’ No, you need to assimilate, act like an American, and support American values, American workers, and American people.”

The Clash With Mehdi Hasan

Nalin’s anti-immigration stance first gained widespread attention in October 2025 when he clashed publicly with British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan. Nalin posted on X calling for an end to “mass immigration,” arguing that the United States faces challenges including overcrowding, economic instability, and the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market. “I don’t care where you’re from—even if it’s Canada—we have to stop mass migration,” he wrote. “It’s irresponsible to let in immigrants when companies already aren’t hiring, AI is replacing jobs, and the economy is fragile. The last thing we need is foreigners taking away jobs Americans can do.”

Hasan responded by highlighting Nalin’s family history.Nalin fired back sharply. “This ain’t 1969, bud. And you should be denaturalized. All you do is complain about America anyway,” he wrote.

The suggestion that a journalist should be stripped of citizenship for criticism alarmed civil liberties advocates and raised questions about Nalin’s understanding of First Amendment protections.

“Stop Legal Immigration”—Not Just Illegal

In an interview with the London-based outlet UnHerd, Nalin articulated an even more expansive vision of immigration restriction.”We don’t just stop illegal immigration,” he told UnHerd. “I think we need to stop legal immigration.”

VisaVerge reported that Nalin “urged a total H-1B visa ban, a pause on all immigration and an end to foreign aid until domestic job, healthcare, and housing needs improve.” The outlet noted he “framed the stance as loyalty to the U.S. and highlighted youth unemployment and underemployment among recent graduates.”

He expressed deep frustration with his generation’s economic prospects. “My friend group—all graduated, great degrees from great schools—it’s been a year and a half, and not one of them has a job,” he said, in UnHerd interview. He argued that foreign aid should be paused “until every American has secure employment, healthcare, and a stable living situation.”

Rising housing costs have made homeownership feel impossible, he added. “My parents bought their first house for $90,000. That same house is probably worth $400,000 now. How can we compete?”

Targeting Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy

FITSNews reported that Nalin “first began making waves of his own accord via his social media posts.” In June 2025, he wrote a tweet concerning X’s billionaire owner Elon Musk: “There’s nothing conservative about a foreigner trying to influence American politics, replacing American workers with foreign workers, and having as many baby mamas as possible.”

When conservative commentator and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called for an “end [to] identity politics” in November, FITSNews reported that Nalin replied: “End H1-B visas.”

UnHerd conducted an in-depth interview with Nalin that provides context for what the outlet describes as his radicalization. The publication described the overall effect of his economic frustration as “akin to ‘living in some fake world, some fake TV show,’ he says. ‘We are the United States of America, we don’t do this. Things should be safe. Things should work. People should have jobs. Houses should be affordable.’”

UnHerd observed: “If the son of Nikki Haley feels this way, it’s not hard to imagine the depths of anger and despair among less privileged Zoomers, a reality that probably explains, at least in part, the cohort’s often-brutal political rhetoric.”

FITSNews reported that at the conclusion of his UnHerd interview, Nalin “predicted ‘the future of Gen Z – is nationalist.'” He added: “I want someone to fight for me,” indicating his willingness to step into the political arena himself if a qualified fighter doesn’t emerge.

Religious Conversion and Political Evolution

Nalin’s political journey has been accompanied by a religious one. UnHerd reported that he recently converted to Catholicism, breaking with his family’s Sikh and Christian Methodist traditions.

“I needed to research my own faith better in terms of the history, the early beliefs, the Church Fathers,” he told UnHerd. “When I did that, I felt as though anyone who does that kind of research will walk away a Catholic.”

Nalin attended Villanova University, a Catholic institution in Philadelphia, but wasn’t received into full communion with the Roman church until after graduation.

Nalin’s views sharply contrast to those of his mother Nikki Haley, who has consistently supported legal and merit-based immigration. The contrast became particularly apparent during Nikki Haley’s 2024 presidential campaign. While she emphasized the importance of Israel and U.S. support for the country, ABC 3340 reported, “Nalin has taken a different approach than his mother on this issue as well.”

Despite the divergence, The List reported that Nalin has historically been supportive of Nikki’s career. In January 2016, after she delivered the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, Nikki shared a photo on Facebook of herself kissing the then-teenager on the cheek, revealing “the touching words he shared with her following the speech.”

The outlet also noted that Nalin has been vocal online backing many of his mother’s government views, particularly on foreign policy. In May 2024, he posted a photo with his dog captioned: “I’m Nalin, I’m 22 years old, and I can’t wait to NOT vote for Biden.”

Television Debut and Media Presence

FITSNews reported that Nalin “scored a prime-time interview on FOX News” in November 2025. He summarized his own appearance on X: “Key takeaways on my first TV interview on Fox News’ Primetime with guest host @RCamposDuffy * The future of GenZ is Nationalist * Both illegal and legal immigration must stop *Ban H-1B Visas * Reevaluate our relationship with so called ‘Allies’ * And GenZ’s desire for labor.”

The outlet noted that during an earlier interview with commentator Sohrab Ahmari, when reminded that he wouldn’t exist had it not been for his grandparents’ immigration to America in 1969, Nalin responded: “It’s not 1969. It’s just not. We have a different country. We have a different set of circumstances,” suggesting instead America must “adapt” and “have different policies.”

Mixed Reactions and Future Political Ambitions

Nalin’s statements have generated polarized responses. Conservative commentator Evan Kilgore wrote on X: “Nikki Haley’s son being totally based was not on my 2025 BINGO card,” according to Twitchy. Another user commented: “Finally someone in the Haley family gets it. Nalin just torched every neocon talking point his mom still pushes.”

However, FITSNews reported that James Lindsay, “an academic turned pundit who rose to prominence through exposing the undue left-wing bias in academic institutions, labeled Nalin Haley ‘Woke Right’ after he tweeted ‘you’re not radical for wanting a job, affordable housing, and safe streets. You’re rational! Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.’”

The outlet noted that “Lindsay stands as a proxy for many members of the ‘old guard’ of the GOP who are altogether frightened by young adults’ demands that America’s conservative politicians treat the nation as more than an economic zone, and her people as cogs in the machine designed to maximize shareholder value at any cost.”

Conservative writer Michael J. Hout published a column in Townhall titled “Life Is Simple When You’re 24,” offering a critical perspective. “Last night, I watched Nikki Haley’s son, Nalin, sit down with Tucker Carlson. It was an interesting opportunity to hear the Gen-Z perspective on foreign affairs and domestic challenges. I was not impressed,” Hout wrote.

Hout questioned whether Nalin and his contemporaries “will moderate with age, with spouses, with children, and with a greater sense of the complexities that life presents us all.”

Political Future in South Carolina?

FITSNews suggested Nalin’s political potential: “Haley flirting with stepping into the electoral arena makes him one of the Palmetto State’s most interesting political prospects, and perhaps the only one with a finger on the pulse of the issues most relevant to young men and women attempting to begin their lives in uniquely challenging times.”

The outlet concluded: “Count on FITSNews to continue to keep tabs on Nalin Haley’s emergence in the coming weeks and months.”

VisaVerge framed the broader significance: “Haley’s call for a total H-1B ban is a maximalist position that would dramatically reshape high-skilled hiring if adopted. It forces a blunt national question into the 2025 conversation: Should the United States shut the door until young Americans gain ground, or can the country support workers at home while still welcoming talent from abroad?”

GG2.net noted: “Within the Indian-American community, the comments struck a particularly sensitive note, as the issue touches on both national identity and employment opportunities.”

For now, Nalin Haley remains a paradox: the privileged grandson of immigrants railing against immigration, the son of a trailblazing Indian American politician advocating policies that would prevent others like his mother from serving, and a young man whose family story embodies American opportunity arguing that America should close its doors.

Whether his positions represent genuine conviction about protecting American workers, economic anxiety manifesting as nativism, or the simplistic solutions of youth remains debated. What is clear is that at 24, Nalin Haley has positioned himself as a voice for a generation of young conservatives who feel economically abandoned—and he’s willing to target his own community to make that point.

This story, conceptualized and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk, was aggregated by AI from several news reports.