4chan Disrupts India-US Flights Amid Trump's $100K H-1B Visa Fee Announcement

Following President Donald Trump's announcement of a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applicants, a panic ensued among Indian visa holders abroad, causing flights from India to the U.S. to New York and other cities to double in price. Major corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and JPMorgan urged employees to stay in the U.S. or return immediately to avoid the fee, intensifying the scramble for flights. Capitalizing on this chaos, users on the right-wing forum 4chan initiated "Operation Clog the Toilet," a coordinated effort to block flight seat bookings by holding seats without completing purchases, thereby artificially inflating ticket prices and preventing real bookings. This campaign, intended to keep Indians from returning to the U.S. before the fee deadline, drew accusations of racism and xenophobia alongside some internet users labeling it as patriotic. The White House later clarified the fee applies only once to new visa petitions, not existing holders, but the disruption and panic had already significantly impacted travel and visa holders. The incident highlights the intersection of immigration policy, online trolling, and racial tensions affecting Indian workers on H-1B visas.