'America doesn’t need more Indian visas': H-1B under fire as Trump team stokes MAGA base
“Trump’s right about India,” Ingraham posted on X. “And we should end all outsourcing of American jobs to Indian ‘recruiting’ firms. Total scam.”
- Sep 2, 2025,
- Updated Sep 2, 2025 8:12 AM IST
Calls to end Indian immigration are intensifying across MAGA-aligned platforms, as Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham and Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk joined a wave of right-wing voices attacking the H-1B visa system and Indian recruiting firms—accusations amplified by the Trump administration’s escalating rhetoric on trade and immigration.
“Trump’s right about India,” Ingraham posted on X. “And we should end all outsourcing of American jobs to Indian ‘recruiting’ firms. Total scam.”
Echoing that sentiment, Charlie Kirk wrote, “America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full.”
The surge in anti-India commentary follows a series of announcements by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who labeled the H-1B visa program a “scam” that undercuts American wages and job opportunities. “We’re going to change that program because that’s terrible,” he said, backing a shift from the lottery system to wage-based selection and new immigration pathways favoring high-wealth individuals.
Lutnick also slammed the current Green Card system, pointing to earnings data: “The average American makes $75,000 a year, the average green card recipient makes $66,000.” He argued that immigration must reward “the best people,” not “the bottom core.”
Online, MAGA supporters have intensified attacks on Indian immigrants and tech workers, reviving hashtags like #NoH1Bs and #AmericansFirst. Indian-American figures such as Vivek Ramaswamy have been caught in the crossfire—facing backlash after defending high-skilled immigrants and criticizing American cultural complacency. "My husband is a U.S. citizen and a software engineer with 30 years of experience. He was unemployed for over a year despite doing multiple interviews every week. Every time, there was some excuse — he didn’t ‘quite’ pass a test, or his code was nitpicked because it wasn’t written the way the interviewer liked. It’s a scam. HR and hiring managers are gatekeepers. H-1B visas need to end, and only American citizens should be allowed to make hiring decisions," said a Trump supporter on X.
Accusations of “fake degrees,” “job theft,” and “wage suppression” have flooded right-wing social media, often tinged with racially charged language and open calls to dismantle the H-1B program entirely.
Calls to end Indian immigration are intensifying across MAGA-aligned platforms, as Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham and Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk joined a wave of right-wing voices attacking the H-1B visa system and Indian recruiting firms—accusations amplified by the Trump administration’s escalating rhetoric on trade and immigration.
“Trump’s right about India,” Ingraham posted on X. “And we should end all outsourcing of American jobs to Indian ‘recruiting’ firms. Total scam.”
Echoing that sentiment, Charlie Kirk wrote, “America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full.”
The surge in anti-India commentary follows a series of announcements by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who labeled the H-1B visa program a “scam” that undercuts American wages and job opportunities. “We’re going to change that program because that’s terrible,” he said, backing a shift from the lottery system to wage-based selection and new immigration pathways favoring high-wealth individuals.
Lutnick also slammed the current Green Card system, pointing to earnings data: “The average American makes $75,000 a year, the average green card recipient makes $66,000.” He argued that immigration must reward “the best people,” not “the bottom core.”
Online, MAGA supporters have intensified attacks on Indian immigrants and tech workers, reviving hashtags like #NoH1Bs and #AmericansFirst. Indian-American figures such as Vivek Ramaswamy have been caught in the crossfire—facing backlash after defending high-skilled immigrants and criticizing American cultural complacency. "My husband is a U.S. citizen and a software engineer with 30 years of experience. He was unemployed for over a year despite doing multiple interviews every week. Every time, there was some excuse — he didn’t ‘quite’ pass a test, or his code was nitpicked because it wasn’t written the way the interviewer liked. It’s a scam. HR and hiring managers are gatekeepers. H-1B visas need to end, and only American citizens should be allowed to make hiring decisions," said a Trump supporter on X.
Accusations of “fake degrees,” “job theft,” and “wage suppression” have flooded right-wing social media, often tinged with racially charged language and open calls to dismantle the H-1B program entirely.