The H-1B visa drama just got hotter! The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has strongly pushed back against a wild claim made by US economist Dr Dave Brat. Dr Brat said that Chennai district alone handed out a jaw-dropping 220,000 H-1B visas, more than double the entire US yearly cap of 85,000. This caused quite a stir as he spoke about India's H-1B visa issues on Steve Bannon's podcast. But hold your horses! The HAF slammed this as "unfounded" and asked for solid proof. The Foundation said, "We are troubled by the misinformation being shared about the Chennai Consulate supposedly issuing 220,000 H-1B visas." Remember, the US cap of 85,000 applies only to new H-1B visas picked via lottery, excluding renewals, extensions, or dependent visas. "It is possible for a consulate to process a large number of these visa events without violating the cap," HAF explained. The Foundation also warned against spreading such claims without facts because "making sweeping statements like this about a community or a country, especially from a political leader, is dangerous and ignorant." They emphasized how such remarks can ignite prejudice and fuel misinformation. So where did this huge number of 220,000 H-1B visas come from? Turns out, it was Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, speaking on a podcast with Mahvash Siddiqui, a US Foreign Service officer posted at the Chennai consulate two decades ago. Vaughan said the Chennai consulate, which handles applications from places like Hyderabad, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, "adjudicated 220,000 H-1Bs and 140,000 H-4 visas for their family members in 2024 alone." This figure is not officially confirmed and remains highly questionable. To wrap up, the HAF urges everyone to treat such numbers with caution and asks public figures to avoid sensational claims without proof. In a world where facts matter, it’s crucial to stop myths from spreading like wildfire.