Trump’s Backing of H-1B Visas Rekindles Debate on Skilled Worker Immigration

U.S, Nov 15 : The political storm over the H-1B visa debate has deepened in the United States, with several Republican leaders demanding the programme’s complete shutdown just days after President Donald Trump publicly defended the need for skilled foreign workers.

On Friday, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene renewed her call to introduce a bill that would ban H-1B visas across all sectors except healthcare, arguing that eliminating the visas would improve job and housing prospects for Americans. Greene claimed that reducing foreign skilled workers would free up jobs and homes, adding that Americans “should not have to compete with legally imported labor.”

In a video message, Greene proposed slashing the annual H-1B cap from 85,000 to just 10,000, with even that exception to be phased out over a decade. Her bill would also remove the path to US citizenship for visa holders, compelling them to return to their home countries.
“These visas were intended to fill a specialty need at a given time. People should not be allowed to live here forever,” she said.

Republican lawmaker Andy Ogles echoed the sentiment, posting, “No more H1-Bs is a no-brainer.”

Trump Defends Programme, Says US Needs Skilled Talent

The backlash came even as President Donald Trump defended the programme, telling Fox News that the US must continue to “bring in talent,” adding that the country lacks certain specialised skills domestically.
“You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, we’re going to make missiles,” he said.

Conservative commentator Laura Ingraham criticised the reliance on foreign workers, questioning whether America needs an “endless stream” of imported talent.

White House Clarifies: Reform, Not Abolition

Amid the escalating H-1B visa debate, the White House clarified that the administration is not seeking to end the programme but to crack down on abuses.
Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the administration remains committed to “tightening immigration laws” while ensuring American workers are protected. She pointed to the newly imposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications as a step toward preventing visa misuse.

The US Department of Labor recently launched 175 investigations into potential abuses within the system.

Experts Warn Scrapping H-1B Could Harm US Economy

Researchers and immigration lawyers have sharply criticised efforts to end the programme as “misleading” and economically harmful.

A study by the Manhattan Institute found that each H-1B visa holder adds $500,000 to US GDP over 30 years and reduces national debt by $2.3 million. Ending the programme could expand US debt by $185 billion over a decade and shrink the economy by $26 billion.

The report identifies Indian immigrants, who received over 70% of H-1B approvals in 2024, as the most economically beneficial immigrant group in the country.

Immigration attorney Anna K. Gorisch called the GOP push “peak stupidity,” adding that attacks on legal immigrants are “wholly unjustified.”