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University of Texas at Austin students are speaking out after Republican nominee Bo French described students of South Asian descent as “foreigners.” His viral post used an image of Longhorn fans celebrating a football victory.
Students pictured in the image said French made assumptions based on their appearance. Several Texas Republicans also criticized the comments as racist or divisive.
Bo French Post Targets UT Students
French is the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission. The statewide agency regulates Texas’ oil and natural gas industry.
On Sunday, French shared a photo from the student section at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The image showed several South Asian students wearing burnt orange and celebrating the Longhorns’ comeback victory over Ohio State.
French compared the scene to a UT graduation and described it as a problem. In another post, he claimed Americans were being displaced by foreigners.
French did not have information about the students’ citizenship or immigration status, according to The Texas Tribune. At least one student in the picture, UT senior Dhairya Gupta, is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
UT Austin Students Reject ‘Foreigners’ Label
Gupta said he regularly encounters offensive comments online. However, he was surprised to see a statewide candidate target him and his friends.
“When I look at that picture, I don’t see a problem,” Gupta told the Tribune.
UT sophomore Arsheeya Moyeen said the image lacked important context. Students had waited for hours in the heat before entering the stadium. When the student section opened, they ran toward available seats near the field.
Moyeen said using the photograph to support claims about race and immigration was unprofessional. She also expressed concern that offensive generalizations have become common on social media.
Lisa Varghese, another UT sophomore in the section, said football should bring people together. She accused French of using skin color to divide Texans.
UT Enrollment Data Contradicts Broader Claim
Texas law requires 90% of UT Austin’s incoming freshman class to consist of Texas residents. The remaining 10% includes both international and out-of-state students.
International students represented about 4% of UT’s undergraduate enrollment during the 2025-26 academic year.
State law also requires 75% of the freshman class to come through automatic admission. UT offers that admission to eligible Texas students graduating in the top 5% of their high school classes.
Asian students make up about 26% of UT’s degree-seeking undergraduate population. Race cannot be considered in admissions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision restricting race-conscious college admissions.
University Leaders Defend Longhorn Community
Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, responded with a statement supporting the students. He said the crowd at the football game consisted of Longhorn fans who made the university proud.
UT President Jim Davis also praised the student body. He wrote that UT students are exceptional and “all of them are Longhorns.”
French defended his position during a conservative radio appearance Monday. He argued that supporting Texas residents over international students is not racist.
The controversy also drew criticism from Republican officials. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn called on party leaders to condemn the post. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said immigration policies can be debated without demeaning people based on race or ethnicity.
Former House Speaker Dade Phelan called French unfit for office. Other Republicans, including former Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi, defended French or criticized Cornyn.
Gov. Greg Abbott said the photograph showed how Texans unite around college football. However, he also reiterated his support for restrictions on H-1B visas at public universities.
The dispute has placed UT Austin students at the center of a statewide political debate. Their response emphasizes that ethnicity alone does not determine citizenship, residency or belonging in the Texas university community.