US Officials Call H-1B Visa Program A 'Scam,' Criticise Hiring Of Indian Workers
Florida Governor DeSantis and US officials call the H-1B visa program a “scam,” criticizing US firms for replacing American workers with cheaper foreign labor, mainly from India.
The Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and many other Republicans believe that the H-1B Visa is a “Total Scam.” They claimed that this is a trick by the American companies to replace the American workers with cheaper labour from foreign countries and mainly it is from India.
DeSantis, the Florida Governer, said that the companies often make the native workers train the H-1B visa workers before removing them from the job. He said, “Most of them (H-1Bs) are from one country, India, there’s a cottage industry about how all those people make money off this system.”
He added that artificial intelligence was already displacing young American workers and asked why the country should “be importing foreign workers when we have our own people that we need to take care of”.
On the process of divisions in President Trump’s cabinet over this policy, the governor said, “I think you’re right to say the H-1B, it’s become a total scam. These companies game the system. Some of these companies are laying off large numbers of Americans while also hiring new H-1B workers and renewing existing H-1B visas.”
Supporters of the programme, however, argue the visas help fill gaps in the United States labour market, especially in science and technology fields.
'H-1B visas provide jobs to native Americans'
Although the people who support this H-1B Visa programme, argue that the visa helps the gaps in the system and the labour market of the United States, mainly in the science and technology field.
The American Immigration Council, a Washington DC-based advocacy group linked to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, has consistently pushed back against claims that H-1B visas harm domestic workers. In a fact sheet published in October 2024, the group explained that immigrant and native-born workers often bring complementary skills rather than competing for the same roles.
The Council also noted that immigrant workers contribute to the economy by spending their earnings, starting businesses, and introducing innovations that drive growth.
Trump’s Conflicted History With H-1B Visas
DeSantis’ comments coincided with US Commerce Secretary Lutnick’s announcement that the administration is preparing changes to immigration policies, including the H-1B and green card processes. Lutnick also proposed a “gold card” scheme, granting residency to foreigners investing $5 million in the United States.
Donald Trump’s stance on H-1B visas has been notoriously inconsistent. As president, he criticized the program as a threat to American jobs, yet he relied on it extensively to staff his own businesses. In January 2025, shortly after his second inauguration, Trump publicly supported the program during a White House event with Oracle’s Larry Ellison, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
“I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do,” Trump said.
He added: “We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the programme very well. I use the programme. Maître d’, wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters — you’ve got to get the best people. People like Larry, he needs engineers, Masa also needs… they need engineers like nobody’s ever needed them.”
During his first term, Trump imposed restrictions on H-1B visas, citing abuses and job losses. In 2016, he denounced the program as a tool for companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign staff.
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