What's New
Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, has faced significant backlash for her comments targeting Indian immigrants amid ongoing debates over H-1B visa policies in the U.S.
Loomer, a loyal MAGA supporter, made remarks that have been perceived as racially insensitive and have drawn criticism on social media. After describing migrants from the south Asian subcontinent as "third-world invaders from India" she was denounced as "racist" and criticized for failing to grasp the argument over the visas.
Newsweek has contacted Laura Loomer, the Trump transition team, social media user @Cloudwatch199, and Sriram Krishnan for further comment.
Why It Matters
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, particularly in the tech industry. Discussions about reforming this program have intensified, with some advocating for the removal of country-specific caps on green cards to address extensive backlogs faced by applicants from countries including India.
Sriram Krishnan, recently appointed as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House, supports such reforms, arguing that the current system leads to unfair waiting times for qualified applicants.
What To Know
The H-1B visa is one of the most competitive categories in the U.S. immigration system, attracting numerous applicants, and major tech companies such as Amazon, Google, and Tesla are some of the top recipients. In 2024, more than 85,000 H-1B visas were approved, after 400,000 applications.
Loomer has expressed concern over the recent appointment of Krishnan as Senior Policy Advisor for AI at the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Loomer took to social media to voice her disapproval, calling Krishnan's appointment "deeply disturbing."
Her comments have been met with rebuttals from prominent figures. Entrepreneur David Sacks clarified that Krishnan advocates for removing country caps on green cards, not eliminating caps entirely, aiming to create a more merit-based system. Elon Musk also supported this position, stating, "Makes sense."
"Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third-world invaders from India," Loomer said. "It's not racist against Indians to want the original MAGA policies I voted for. I voted for a reduction in H-1B visas. Not an extension."
Loomer, who described herself as a "proud Islamophobe," previously received widespread condemnation, including from Vice President-elect JD Vance and GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, another Trump loyalist, for saying that the White House "will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center" if Kamala Harris, who is of Indian heritage, won the presidential election.
What People Are Saying
One social media user, Sidharth @Cloudwatch199, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "Anyone opposing high-skilled immigration is fundamentally anti-American. This nation was built by immigrants who drove innovation, from Albert Einstein revolutionizing science to Sergey Brin reshaping technology. High-skilled immigrants create jobs, fuel economic growth, and ensure America stays ahead globally.
"Groups like #USTECHWorkers, operating with shady funding from external forces and amplified by figures like Laura Loomer, are nothing more than propaganda machines designed to weaken America's competitive edge. Their agenda isn't about protecting jobs—it's about stoking division and fear."
Loomer said in a post on X: "It's alarming to see the number of career leftists who are now being appointed to serve in Trump's admin when they share views that are in direct opposition to Trump's America First agenda.
"How will we control immigration in our country and promote America First innovation when Trump appointed this guy who wants to REMOVE all restrictions on green card caps in the United States so that foreign students (which makes up 78 percent of the employees in Silicon Valley) can come to the US and take jobs that should be given to American STEM students."
David Sacks, the incoming A.I. & Crypto Czar under the second Trump administration said on X: Sriram didn't say he wants to remove all caps on green cards. He said he wants to remove *country* caps on green cards. Right now, every country in the world gets allocated the same number of green cards, no matter how many qualified applicants it has.
"So applicants from India have an 11-year wait whereas applicants from many other countries have no wait at all. Sriram still supports skills-based criteria for receiving a green card, not making the program unlimited. In fact, he wants to make the program entirely merit-based. Supporting a limited number of highly skilled immigrants is still a prevalent view on the right. Sriram is definitely not a "career leftist"!
Sandeep Neel, a social media commentator said in a post on X: "Trump & his appointees represent MAGA, NOT racist lunatics like Laura Loomer."
Journalist Josh Peterson said: "Laura Loomer is a bat**** insane racist that looks like Jigsaw from the Saw movies. It's unfortunate that she has the negative influence that she has, but hold onto the good in people and rise above it."
What's Next
The debate over H-1B visa reforms continues, with policymakers expected to consider various proposals to address the challenges faced by immigrants and the domestic workforce.
Loomer's comments have sparked further discussion about the intersection of immigration policy and racial sensitivity in public discourse. As the conversation evolves, it remains to be seen how these dynamics will influence future policy decisions.
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