A Texas-based conservative activist, Carlos Turcios is at the centre of controversy after questioning a 90-foot-tall statue of Lord Hanuman at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. He shared a video of the statue on X and claimed that “third World Aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America,” urging people to “stop the invasion.”

He wrote, “This is not Islamabad, Pakistan, or New Delhi, India. This is Sugar Land, Texas. Third World Aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America. Why is the third-largest statue in the US this??! Stop the INVASION!”

The statue, known as the Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman, was inaugurated in August 2024 and is the tallest Hanuman statue in North America.

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Temple officials said the statue represents strength and devotion and described the temple as a “spiritual epicenter” meant to promote peace.

Turcios Anti-India stance

Turcios has repeatedly criticised Indians in the United States on social media. In an earlier post on X, he wrote, “Frisco Residents are tired of the city government importing H-1 B workers from India when Americans can’t even afford homes or get jobs. Here, a resident calls out the fraud and abuse committed by Third-World-Aliens.”

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In another post, he said, “This is not Islamabad, Pakistan, or Kabul, Afghanistan. This is Houston, Texas. Islam and Sharia Law is taking over many parts of Texas and America!! Why do we have conferences for SHARIA LAW??! Stop the INVASION!.”

Who is Carlos Turcios?

According to his website, Turcios is a young Latino conservative activist, journalist, and community leader based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas. He is known for opposing Critical Race Theory in public schools, organising “Back the Blue” marches, and promoting conservative leaders such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Turcios grew up in Tarrant County and began his political activism as a teenager. He first focused on school-board issues in the Fort Worth Independent School District. His campaigns drew national attention to CRT-related curriculum and were followed by the resignation of the district’s superintendent and several trustees

He later graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in political science. Turcios went on to work as an investigative reporter for The Dallas Express, covering issues such as corporate policies, use of taxpayer funds, and LGBTQ-related events in schools. From late 2023 to late 2024, he served as executive director of a Latino conservative organisation in Texas, where he organised rallies and political events

Turcios currently chairs the Tarrant County GOP Community Involvement Committee and serves as a Republican precinct chair. He regularly speaks at government meetings and helps organise protests. He is also a member of the Texas State Guard, which he says reflects his commitment to public service.

Netizens hit back

Turcios faced strong criticism online, especially from Indian users. One user wrote, “Third world’? By someone named ‘Carlos Turcios’? I am not a fan of statues like this, but it is a bit much for ‘Carlos Turcios’ to call ethnic groups much more successful and educated than his ‘third world’. That reeks of insecurity, and is actually projection. Carlos should get someone educated to explain everything.”

Another commented, “This statue is located at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. It has been there for like a year and a half. The Hindus who frequent this temple have a right to worship in this land. Their statue isn’t bothering you. If you don’t like it, don’t look at it.”

A third user questioned him by saying, “America is not a theocracy. Religious freedom was the main purpose for most of our original colonies. Further, there are more Christian’s in India than there are in Texas. They would welcome you to build a church and worship there. Are u saying that anyone who isn’t Christian should go back to their country? Do u hate the constitution? And where in your pristine christian bible does it say you can go around the world bombing other nations if they dont support you? Since you’re on the topic,”

Another post added, “There are 41 million households that speak Spanish in the US. Yet there are no Indian languages in the top 10. Since household language is the strongest indicator of assimilation, you have a long way to go before your group is anywhere near the assimilation level of Indian-Americans.”