Famous social worker, US-Pakistan Businessman and Republican Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Constable Ali Sheikhani has brushed off attacks targeting his Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith, saying he considers Texas his home and will continue to do the right thing.
Sheikhani became the latest target of anti-Muslim rhetoric this week after Amy Mekelburg, founder of the conservative activist organisation RAIR (Rise Align Ignite Reclaim) Foundation USA, posted a video on X accusing the Pakistani-American elected official of representing “another Republican Party infiltration.”
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Mekelburg described Sheikhani as an “Islamic Pakistani operative” and questioned how a wealthy Pakistani immigrant could be running a Texas police station.
The video was later amplified by Bo French, the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, who described its content as “third worldery.”
The level of third worldery in this video is off the charts. pic.twitter.com/ua2fn4jCAS
— Bo French (@bofrench) August 13, 2026
Sheikhani, however, is himself a Republican and has served as Fort Bend County Precinct 3 constable since January 2025.
According to official county election results, Sheikhani defeated Democratic incumbent Constable Nabil Shike in November 2024, receiving just over 52% of the vote.
According to the digital news website based in Houston, Texas, Chron, Sheikhani told that he first joined the Precinct 3 rank and file in 2018 before launching his campaign in 2023.
Explaining his decision to run as a Republican, Sheikhani cited former Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls and former Precinct 4 Constable Trever Nehls as influences.
“I always respected the ex-sheriff and ex-constable and things that Republicans valued like doing things by the book, respecting religions, color,” Sheikhani said.
“That’s why I decided to go to the Republican side.”
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He added that he does not view political affiliation as complicated.
“I personally think there’s nothing wrong with Democrats, and nothing wrong with Republicans, it’s a personal choice,” he said.
When asked directly about the video targeting his Pakistani background and Muslim faith, Sheikhani declined to engage with its rhetoric.
“It’s unfortunate they felt the need to put that video out. It’s not actually accurate, but I maintain the respect for them, so I’m just not gonna say anything else,” he said.
Sheikhani also said he did not know what French meant when the Republican described the video as “third worldery.”
“He can say whatever he can say,” Sheikhani said. “It’s freedom of speech.”
Fort Bend County has a sizable South Asian population, while the Pakistani-American community has also grown across Texas.
Pew Research Center estimates that roughly 95,000 people who identify solely as Pakistani live in Texas, the largest Pakistani population of any US state.
Around 45,000 Pakistani Americans live in the Houston metropolitan area.
The controversy comes amid a broader debate over Islam within the Texas Republican Party.
At the state GOP convention in Houston in June, “Don’t Sharia Our Texas,” organized by Mekelburg, became one of the central themes of the gathering despite calls from Republican leaders for party unity.
The Texas Tribune reported that Muslim Republican delegates and attendees were confronted over their faith, including one person who was explicitly told to leave the country.
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The Houston Chronicle also reported separately that party members attempted to expel two longtime Muslim delegates.
French supported those efforts and called for the deportation of the son of one of the delegates who attended the convention.
For Sheikhani, however, the response to rhetoric questioning whether Muslim and Pakistani Texans belong in the country is straightforward.
“This is our country too,” Sheikhani said. “Just do the right thing, do everything by the law and let people talk.”
