Donald Trump defends H-1B visa programme amid Republican opposition

US President Donald Trump has once again voiced support for the H-1B visa programme, emphasising the need for skilled foreign workers to train American employees. His remarks come amid mounting pressure from Republican leaders advocating for the termination of the scheme.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump highlighted the country’s ambitions in the semiconductor sector. “If you are going to be making chips, we don’t make chips much here anymore. Over the next year, we aim to capture a significant share of the market. But we must train our people how to produce chips. We used to do it, and foolishly lost that business to Taiwan,” he said.

Trump’s comments echo a recent interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, in which he stressed the importance of bringing in foreign talent. When questioned on whether his administration planned to deprioritise H-1B visas, he stated, “You do have to bring in talent.” Responding to Ingraham’s assertion that the US has sufficient skilled workers, Trump said, “No, you don’t. You don’t have certain talents… You can’t take people off the unemployment line and expect them to operate advanced factories or make missiles.”

The president’s remarks have provoked criticism from prominent Republican and conservative figures, who have called for the scrapping of the programme.

A White House spokesperson, Taylor Rogers, clarified the administration’s position, noting that the $100,000 application fee for new H-1B visas represents “a significant first step to stop abuses of the system.” Rogers further highlighted “Project Firewall,” a Department of Labor initiative targeting companies that exploit H-1B visas to hire low-wage foreign workers in place of American employees.

“President Trump has done more than any modern president to tighten immigration laws and prioritise American workers,” Rogers said. “Project Firewall ensures that the H-1B system is used solely for the highest-skilled foreign professionals and not to displace US workers.”

Several Republican lawmakers have reiterated their opposition. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene plans to introduce legislation to ban H-1B visas in all sectors except healthcare, arguing that eliminating the programme would boost job availability and make housing more accessible for Americans. Fellow House member Andy Ogles described ending H-1Bs as “a no-brainer.”

The Trump administration’s approach to H-1B visas has faced legal challenges, including lawsuits from the US Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business organisation. Concerns have also been raised regarding potential impacts on the India-US relationship, as Indian nationals accounted for over 70 per cent of approved H-1B visas in 2024, largely due to a backlog and a high number of skilled applicants from India.

With IANS inputs