President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday sided with his main ally, billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, in a public debate over the use of H-1B visas, while some supporters opposed him. He said he fully supports the program for foreign high-tech workers.
President Trump's remarks came late Friday in a series of social media posts by Tesla Inc TSLA.O and SpaceX CEO Musk, who vowed to go to “war” to protect visa programs for foreign tech workers. This followed a post on the media.
Trump, who moved to restrict visa use as president, told the New York Post on Saturday that he supports a similar visa system.
“I have a lot of H-1B visas on my property. I've always believed in H-1B. I've used it many times. It's a great program,” he was quoted as saying.
Mr. Musk, a South African-born naturalized U.S. citizen, holds an H-1B visa, and his electric car company Tesla received 724 visas this year. H-1B visas are typically valid for three years, but holders can extend them or apply for a green card.
The spat began earlier this week, when far-right activists criticized President Trump's choice of Indian venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as an advisor on artificial intelligence, saying he would have influence over the Trump administration's immigration policy. It all started with a claim.
Musk's tweets come amid a heated debate over immigration and where skilled immigrants and foreign workers who enter the country on work visas come in, with Trump supporters and immigrants increasingly calling for an end to the H-1B visa program. It is aimed at hardliners.
On Friday, President Trump's longtime confidant Steve Bannon criticized the “big tech oligarchy” that supports the H-1B program and accused immigrants of being a threat to Western civilization.
In response, Musk and many other tech billionaires drew a line between what they considered legal and illegal immigration.
President Trump has promised to deport all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, impose tariffs and severely limit immigration to encourage job creation for Americans.
The visa issue highlights how technology leaders like Musk, who have played a key role in the presidential transition by advising on key personnel and policy areas, are now under scrutiny from his supporters. It's highlighted.
U.S. high-tech industries are using the government's H-1B visa program to hire skilled foreign workers to help run their businesses, but critics say this labor is lowering wages for Americans. points out.
Musk has spent more than $250 million to elect Trump as president in November. He posted regularly this week about his country's lack of talent to fill all the needed positions within U.S. technology companies.
(Reuters)
