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President-elect Donald Trump waded in to the ongoing debate between Elon Musk and MAGA supporters about the merits of the H-1B visa program in an exclusive interview with the New York Post.
“I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them,” Trump told the Post.
The H1-B visa program allows foreign laborers to work in specialty occupations and authorizes the temporary employment of qualified individuals who would otherwise be unable to work in the U.S.
“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” Trump continued.
Despite his vocal support for the program, the former president restricted access to foreign worker visas during his first term. In 2020, he suspended the program for six months to limit the number of immigrants entering the nation.
The discourse was prompted by Musk’s response to an X post lamenting an engineering talent shortage in the U.S.
“The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low,” Musk stated, prompting a slew of hateful messages from MAGA supporters.
Many MAGA supporters, including Laura Loomer, have pointed out the program tethers foreign workers to their employers, which typically results in them working more hours for less pay than American employees.
Originally published by Latin Times
