International
oi-Ashish Rana
In
a
notable
shift
from
his
tough
immigration
rhetoric,
US
President
Donald
Trump
has
admitted
that
America
lacks
sufficient
skilled
professionals
in
key
sectors.
While
defending
his
administration’s
restrictive
immigration
policies,
he
conceded
that
the
United
States
must
bring
in
foreign
talent
to
maintain
its
edge
in
advanced
industries
such
as
defense
and
technology.
Trump
on
US
visa
policy
change
Donald
Trump,
the
US
President,
acknowledged
a
lack
of
skilled
professionals
in
key
sectors,
despite
his
administration’s
restrictive
immigration
policies,
with
Indian
nationals
accounting
for
over
70%
of
approved
H-1B
visas
in
2024;
concurrently,
the
administration
is
tightening
immigration
rules,
including
increased
fees
and
investigations,
and
Florida
Governor
Ron
DeSantis
is
phasing
out
H-1B
holders
from
state
universities.
Trump
Admits
Gaps
in
Domestic
Talent
Pool
Speaking
to
Fox
News
anchor
Laura
Ingraham,
Trump
was
asked
whether
his
government
would
deprioritise
H-1B
visas,
which
allow
US
firms
to
employ
highly
skilled
foreign
workers.
“You
do
have
to
bring
in
talent,” he
said.
When
Ingraham
countered,
“We
have
plenty
of
talent,”
Trump
replied
firmly,
“No,
you
don’t.”
He
explained
that
many
unemployed
Americans
lack
the
specialized
skills
required
for
complex
defense-related
work.
“You
don’t
have
certain
talents…
And
people
have
to
learn,
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,” Trump
remarked.
India
Dominates
H-1B
Approvals
According
to
official
data,
Indian
nationals
accounted
for
more
than
70
percent
of
approved
H-1B
visas
in
2024.
This
dominance
stems
from
a
growing
backlog
of
applications
and
India’s
strong
supply
of
skilled
professionals
in
fields
like
information
technology
and
engineering.
Crackdown
Continues
Despite
Acknowledgment
Trump’s
comments
come
amid
a
broader
tightening
of
immigration
rules
under
his
administration.
In
September,
he
issued
a
proclamation
introducing
a
steep
$100,000
fee
on
new
H-1B
visa
applications.
The
move
drew
criticism
from
tech
companies
and
industry
groups
that
rely
on
global
talent.
Meanwhile,
the
US
Department
of
Labour
has
initiated
over
175
investigations
into
possible
misuse
of
the
visa
programme
under
an
operation
named
Project
Firewall.
The
probe
aims
to
identify
companies
accused
of
exploiting
the
system
meant
for
hiring
workers
in
speciality
occupations,
including
healthcare,
IT,
and
engineering.
Political
Pushback
in
Florida
Adding
to
the
controversy,
Florida
Governor
Ron
DeSantis
recently
ordered
the
state’s
Board
of
Governors
to
phase
out
H-1B
visa
holders
from
state
universities.
“Why
are
we
bringing
people
in
to
assess
our
accreditation
on
an
H-1B
visa?
We
can’t
do
that
with
our
own
people?” DeSantis
said,
branding
the
practice
as
“cheap
labour.”
He
urged
educational
institutions
to
prioritise
local
hires
over
foreign
professionals.
Days
later,
the
White
House
reaffirmed
Trump’s
position
that
reforming
the
H-1B
programme
remains
central
to
his
agenda.
A
spokesperson
said
the
administration
would
“continue
to
put
American
workers
first” and
defend
its
policies
against
ongoing
legal
challenges.
