Trump Supports H-1B Visas — Or Does He?

Musk may be wearing out his welcome

Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this whole H-1B visa issue. I’m not sure that I understand what the problem is.

Trump, who was against the visas during his first administration because he wanted only Americans to hold American jobs, has now changed his mind, not surprising considering that he is surrounded by billionaires who wouldn’t be billionaires if they hadn’t had access to a never-ending supply of H-1B visa holders.

But has Trump really changed his mind? He said:

“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.”

But the problem is that the visas that he is referring to are H-2A for agricultural workers and H-2B for unskilled workers like gardeners and housekeepers. His company has employed over 1,000 workers over the last 20 years using both visa programs.

Oops.

I’m pretty sure that Musk and his buddies know this but are willing to overlook these inconvenient facts just to have Trump’s continued support for the visa program that they depend on.

So, here’s where my confusion comes in. There are a few arguments used to justify the use of H-1B visas. The first…