Fox News host Will Cain has intensified the debate over the H-1B visa program, slamming it as a scheme for “corporate exploitation” and “cheap labor” used by tech companies to undercut American workers. This criticism is fueling a conservative movement, led by figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who are pushing to phase out the program entirely.
Key Criticisms and Data Points
- Undercutting Wages: The central argument is that corporations deliberately use the H-1B program to hire foreign workers at lower wages than native-born Americans. Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus and Anduril, echoed this, controversially calling it a way to replace Americans with “slave labor.”
- Junior-Level Jobs: Cain argued the program is misused, claiming 80% of H-1B approvals are for entry and junior-level positions, contradicting the justification that they fill specialized high-skill gaps.
- Geographic Concentration: Cain highlighted that the majority of visa holders come from two countries: 70% from India and another 10–15% from China.
Political and Enforcement Action
- Phase-Out Legislation: Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene vowed to introduce legislation to eliminate the H-1B program, accusing Big Tech and other industries of abusing it to “cut out our own people.”
- Trump Administration Investigations: The Labor Department under the former Trump administration launched nearly 200 investigations into H-1B abuse, signaling a focus on stricter enforcement of the program’s rules.
Trump’s Divided Stance
The debate has created a divide among conservatives:
- Trump’s Position: In a Fox News interview, President Donald Trump defended the program, suggesting the U.S. needs it to bring in “certain talents” for high-skilled jobs.
- Conservative Pushback: This defense drew immediate criticism from figures like Laura Ingraham and Steve Bannon, who insist that flooding the market with foreign workers actively hurts American wages and job prospects.
