Amid interparty friction over immigration, particularly H-1B visas for specialized foreign workers, President-elect Donald Trump has voiced support for the visas, aligning with Project 2025, a conservative policy agenda.
Why It Matters
Prior to winning the 2024 election, Trump pledged he had "nothing to do with Project 2025," a nearly 900-page policy agenda spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, and called parts of it "ridiculous and abysmal."
On Saturday, however, after nearly a week of interparty contention over H-1B visas, with many supporters criticizing top Trump advisers Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk for their support of the program, Trump told the New York Post, "I've always liked the visas. I have always been in favor of the visas. That's why we have them."
In June 2020, Trump temporarily suspended the program, freezing access to new H-1B visas, via executive order. It did not affect individuals already holding H-1B visas.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump's press team for comment via email on Sunday.
His support, which contradicts the beliefs of many Trump loyalists, largely reflects the sentiment of Project 2025—a policy agenda applauded by many of Trump's supporters.
What To Know
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers with specialized knowledge or expertise.
Tech companies, financial institutions, and universities are often the most frequent sponsors. In 2024, Amazon, Google, Meta and other major companies dominated the market, each receiving several thousand visas. Tesla, the electric car company owned by Musk, reportedly brought hundreds of employees to the U.S. through the program last year.
There is a federal annual cap of 65,000 new H-1B visas that can be issued and an "additional 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a master's degree or higher from a U.S. institution of higher education are exempt from the cap," according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The visas provide workers with temporary stay in the U.S.
Earlier this week, Indian American entrepreneur and venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan's appointment as Trump's artificial intelligence (AI) policy adviser caused a stir among supporters. In addition, Ramaswamy called out American work culture in a social media post, and Musk said there aren't enough "super talented" engineers in the U.S.
Ramaswamy's lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, argued that tech companies need foreign workers because Americans don't have a good enough work ethic and that American culture "venerated mediocrity over excellence." On Friday, Musk's rhetoric on the topic became heated when he vowed to "go to war" to defend the visa program.
Many Trump supporters have spoken out against the comments and advocated for the removal of the H-1B visas, emphasizing their support for Trump's pledge to crack down on immigration.
However, Project 2025's immigration policy supports the visa program with reforms. It describes the program as "oft-abused" and aims to "transform the program into an elite mechanism exclusively to bring in the 'best and brightest' at the highest wages while simultaneously ensuring that U.S. workers are not being disadvantaged by the program."
The policy agenda notes that "H-1B is a means only to supplement the U.S. economy and to keep companies competitive, not to depress U.S. labor markets artificially in certain industries."
It is unclear how much of the agenda Trump may incorporate into his policy focus. While he has often distanced himself from the agenda, he told Time last month, "I don't disagree with everything in Project 2025, but I disagree with some things."
He added, "They have some things that are very conservative and very good. They have other things that I don't like."
What People Are Saying
Musk said on Friday via X: "The reason I'm in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend."
Laura Loomer, a conservative commentator said in a Thursday X post: "I have always been America First and a die hard supporter of President Trump and I believe that promises made should be promises kept. Donald Trump promised to remove the H1B visa program and I support his policy. Now, as one of Trump's biggest supporters, I'm having my free speech silenced by a tech billionaire for simply questioning the tech oligarchy."
Gabe Guidarini, an Ohio field representative for Turning Point Action, wrote in a Tuesday X post: "The H1B issue is going to be the defining issue of 2025. College students who have paid tens of thousands of dollars for job credentials should not have to compete with foreign labor when they enter the workforce. We will remember who didn't stand up against this."
Political satire account, Jesus Freakin Congress, who has over 14,600 followers on X, formerly Twitter, posted on the platform yesterday: "I hate to break it to everyone, but...H1B visas were always a part of Project 2025. It clearly stated so in the immigration section. When you voted for Trump, you voted for H1B visas."
What Happens Next
The debate over H-1B visa reforms continues, and the new administration, set to take office on January 20, 2025, is expected to weigh various immigration reform policies.
While Trump's plans to crack down on illegal immigration have broad support across his base, the president-elect will have to walk a tightrope on legal immigration following his inauguration if he is to avoid alienating a powerful section of his supporters.
In June, Trump suggested international students graduating from American universities should be given green cards during an interview on the All-In podcast. "If you graduate or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country," he said.
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