Social media posts by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy arguing in favor of expanding the visa program for skilled immigrant workers in the US have sparked a debate among supporters of President-elect Donald Trump over how the program should fit into the aggressive agenda. of the next administration's immigration.
Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tapped to lead his Department of Government Efficiency, have defended companies that contract with H-1B visa workers, arguing that tech companies — including those owned by Musk — depend on foreign workers to operate.
But their message angered some of Trump's staunchest supporters, who expect his administration to crack down on immigration and promote American jobs.
Trump limited access to foreign worker visas during his first term and has frequently criticized the H-1B program in the past. But during the 2024 campaign, Trump signaled openness to giving some foreign-born workers legal status if they graduated from an American university.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Musk said US tech companies need "double" the number of engineers working in America today and compared the benefits of the program to a professional sports team recruiting the best talent from around the world. the world.
" If you want your team to win the championship, you need to recruit the best talent wherever they are. This enables the whole TEAM to win ,” Musk wrote on X.
" I am referring to bringing through legal immigration the 0.1% of engineering talent as essential for America to continue to win ," Musk wrote in another post Thursday. "Thinking of America as a professional sports team that has won for a long time and wants to keep winning is the right mental construct," he emphasized.
Ramaswamy, a first-generation U.S. citizen whose parents immigrated from India, agreed with Musk in defending companies that seek workers from outside the U.S., arguing that tech companies hire engineers who were born outside the U.S. or born of American immigrants, because " American culture has honored mediocrity over excellence ".
“ Our American culture has honored mediocrity over excellence for a long time (at least since the 90s and probably longer). This doesn't start in college, it starts with youth ," he wrote Thursday.
The support for foreign workers drew attacks from MAGA supporters, who are concerned that an expansion of the H-1B program could undermine their desire to see curbs on immigration under the Trump administration. Loyal Trump supporters such as far-right activist Laura Loomer, conservative pundit Ann Coulter and former Rep. Matt Gaetz have criticized the two tech entrepreneurs for their stance.
" We welcomed the tech bros when they came running to avoid the third-grade teacher choosing their child's gender — and the obvious Biden/Harris economic downfall ," Gaetz wrote in a social media post Thursday.
Musk and Ramaswamy's comments also drew the attention of former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who responded to the tweets by calling on the incoming administration to prioritize American workers over foreign workers.
" There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. Just look at the border and see how much they love what we have. We must invest in and prioritize Americans, not foreign workers ," Haley wrote on Thursday.
Musk and Ramaswamy's position has also found support among some Democrats. The H-1B visa program allows 65,000 highly skilled workers to immigrate to the US each year to fill a vacancy in a specific job and grants another 20,000 visas to such workers who have obtained an advanced degree in the US. Economists have argued that the program allows US companies to remain competitive and grow their business, creating more US jobs. The program is often associated with the technology sector, where companies have a high demand for specialized workers.
Musk came to the US as a foreign student and later worked on an H1-B visa. Trump has previously opposed H-1B visas, harshly criticizing them during his first presidential campaign as a vehicle for "abuse." In a 2016 statement, Trump attacked the H-1B program as a method for US companies to bring foreign workers into the country "with the express purpose of replacing lower-wage American workers".
In 2020, Trump limited access to H-1B visas in some cases, part of the administration's effort to curb legal immigration in response to changing economic conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
But in his most recent presidential campaign, Trump has appeared more tolerant of highly skilled foreigners coming to work in the US. In a podcast interview in June, Trump said he wants to grant permanent residency to any foreign national who graduates from college in the US.
" What I want to do and what I'm going to do is that when you graduate from a college, I think you should automatically get, as part of your degree, a green card to be able to stay in this country ," Trump said.
Musk's clash with members of Trump's base over the visa issue marks another chapter in the tech billionaire's growing influence in the president-elect's orbit. After Musk led opposition to a bipartisan government funding bill that was eventually scrapped once Trump came out against it, Democrats began derisively labeling the tech mogul "President Musk" to suggest the Tesla CEO— s his policy goals dictated to Trump.
Speaking at a rally of conservative activists in Arizona on Sunday, Trump shot down Democrats' claims about Musk.
" No, he will not take the presidency. I like to have smart people. They are making a new appeal. From Russia, Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, all different scams. The new one is 'President Trump has left the presidency to Elon Musk'. No, no, that's not happening ," Trump said. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
