DeSantis labels H1-B work visa program a ‘total scam,’ criticizes policy allowing 600K Chinese students to study in U.S.
(L) Screenshot taken from Fox News segment with Laura Ingraham and Ron DeSantis. (Video via: X) / (Background) Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a campaign event at The Grass Wagon on January 13, 2024 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis recently described the H-1B visa program as a “total scam,” arguing that it enables American companies to neglect hard-working domestic workers in favor of cheap foreign labor, stemming mostly from India.
In a recent Fox News interview with host Laura Ingraham, DeSantis was asked about his view on work visas for foreigners, with Ingraham emphasizing that the issue has caused a “real divide” within President Donald Trump’s cabinet.
“The H-1B, it’s become a total scam. These companies game the system – you have some of these companies that are laying off large numbers of Americans while they’re also getting new H-1Bs and renewing H1-Bs,” DeSantis stated.
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“And a lot of times, people used to say, ‘Well, you know, we’re getting the cream of the crop from all around the world.’ The reality is that’s not actually what H1-Bs are, most of them are from one [country], India. There’s a cottage industry about how all that – people make money off this system,” he continued.
DeSantis also argued that artificial intelligence (AI) is displacing young Americans from the workforce, adding to the broader problem of job loss.
“And look at what’s happening to young people in this current job market because of artificial intelligence. You are starting to see evidence that they are having a much tougher time because of what’s happening with AI. So if that’s going to continue to produce dislocations, why would we be importing foreign workers when we have our own people that we need to take care of?”
The H-1B program is a scam. @GovRonDeSantis: ‘Companies lay off Americans while bringing in new H-1Bs. It’s not the best and brightest—it’s a cottage industry, mostly from one country. With AI displacing young workers, why import more foreign labor instead of protecting our… pic.twitter.com/87P6SrsGYx
On the flip side, supporters of the program have argued that it supports the job market by “filling in the gaps” and providing complementary skills — rather than introducing more competition for American workers.
Last year, Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy commented on the H-1B visa program, arguing that U.S. companies often prioritize hiring foreign workers over U.S. citizens due to a cultural emphasis on mediocrity rather than excellence. This perspective prompted backlash from the majority of “America First” Trump supporters.
Until recently, President Donald Trump had been a vocal critic of the H-1B visa program, often citing concerns over job displacement for American workers and the program’s potential misuse. However, in January, shortly after returning to the presidency, Trump expressed support for the program during a White House press conference. He emphasized the importance of attracting “very competent people” to the U.S., noting that the program is beneficial across various sectors.
This shift in stance aligned with the perspectives of several tech leaders, including Oracle’s Larry Ellison, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, who were present at that particular press conference.
“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 stated.
“We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the program very well. I use the program,” he continued. “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.”
In the recent Fox News appearance, DeSantis also criticized the Trump administration for granting up to 600,000 student visas to Chinese Students.
“I’d rather have none,” the Florida governor said, referencing the Chinese students. He also noted that a significant percentage of these students could be spies for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“To put it in perspective, the state of Florida — we’re the third largest state in the United States — the total number of students in our entire state university system, 12 universities, is a little over 300,000,” DeSantis continued. “So that would mean you’re almost doubling the entire population of the Florida State University system with just Chinese students.”
“There is a significant percentage of the Chinese students who are engaged by the [Chinese Communist Party]. You know, they used to say, ‘Oh, you bring the people from China. They’re gonna love America, they’ll go back and they’ll be ambassadors, and China will change.’ But obviously, that has not happened because this has been going on for decades,” he continued.
Nonetheless, President Trump swiftly addressed criticisms over the plan, stating: “Look, we’re getting along very well with China and I’m getting along very well with President Xi.”
“I think it’s very insulting to say students can’t come here,” Trump continued. “I like that their students come here, I like that other countries’ students come here. And you know what would happen if they didn’t, our system would go to hell immediately. And it wouldn’t be the top colleges, it would be colleges that struggle on the bottom.”
“Now with that, we check and we’re careful and we see who’s there,” the president added. “And you can call it an industry if you want, but you’re talking about millions of people and I’m honored to have the students from China come here—and we’re just getting along very well with China.”
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