Lagatar24 Desk
Washington, D.C.: US President Donald Trump defended his administration’s stance on the H-1B visa programmefollowing widespread criticism over a massive fee hike, saying that America must continue bringing in skilled foreign workers because “the US doesn’t have enough talent” in some fields.
‘You Can’t Just Take People Off The Unemployment Line’
In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump was asked whether his administration planned to deprioritise the H-1B visa programme amid rising restrictions. Responding, he said, “You do have to bring in talent.” When the host argued that America already had “plenty of talent,” Trump countered: “No, you don’t.” He elaborated, “You don’t have certain talents… you can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, I’m going to put you into a factory. We’re going to make missiles.”
Indian Professionals Remain Key Beneficiaries
Indian nationals continued to dominate the H-1B category, receiving over 70% of approved visas in 2024, largely due to a high concentration of skilled professionals from India and a lingering backlog in approvals.
Administration Tightens Visa Rules Amid Fee Hike
Despite Trump’s latest remarks, his administration has faced criticism for tough immigration measures. In September 2025, the White House imposed a $100,000 application fee for new H-1B filings — a move that sparked outrage among tech and academic employers.
In parallel, the US Department of Labor (DOL) launched 175 investigations into alleged abuses within the visa programme under an initiative called Project Firewall, aimed at identifying companies accused of exploiting the system to undercut American wages.
Political Backlash And State-Level Actions
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also announced plans to phase out H-1B visa use in state universities, arguing that academic positions should be reserved for Florida residents. “Why are we bringing people in to assess our accreditation on an H-1B visa? We can do that with our own people,” he said, labelling the practice “cheap labour.”
The White House, however, maintained that the reforms were intended to “put American workers first,” even as lawsuits challenge the legality of the new restrictions.
