H-1B bombshell: GOP senator wants full pause, claims US jobs are being stolen
Indian professionals, particularly in tech, have historically dominated H1B allocations. But recent layoffs in the US tech sector have sharpened scrutiny of the program’s fairness.
- Aug 26, 2025,
- Updated Aug 26, 2025 8:46 AM IST
US Republican Senator Mike Lee has floated a potential pause on issuing H1B visas—an idea that could have sweeping implications for Indian tech professionals, who make up the largest share of visa recipients.
“Is it time to pause H1B visas?” Lee asked on X, responding to a post alleging that a Walmart executive accepted kickbacks for hiring Indian H1B workers over American citizens. The post, though unverified, reignited debate over foreign work visas and their impact on the domestic job market.
Lee joins a growing chorus of Republican voices challenging the H1B system, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialized roles. First introduced in 1990, the visa program is capped annually at 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 for applicants with US graduate degrees.
Indian professionals, particularly in tech, have historically dominated H1B allocations. But recent layoffs in the US tech sector have sharpened scrutiny of the program’s fairness.
“You see big tech firms laying off 9,000 employees and then applying for thousands of overseas work visas—it just doesn’t add up,” Vice President JD Vance said on a podcast in July. “I don’t support companies firing thousands of American workers and then claiming they can’t find talent here.”
Newly appointed USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has signaled that the Trump administration is preparing to tighten H1B rules. He has proposed reforms that would shift from a lottery-based system to one that awards visas by wage level—prioritizing the highest-paying roles.
“The way H1B needs to be used… is to supplement, not supplant, the US economy and US workers,” Edlow said.
The policy shift is already drawing interest among conservative commentators, including Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer, who have criticized the program for displacing American labor. Despite this, former President Donald Trump has voiced support for H1Bs in the past. “It’s a great program,” Trump said. “I have many H1B visas on my properties.”
US Republican Senator Mike Lee has floated a potential pause on issuing H1B visas—an idea that could have sweeping implications for Indian tech professionals, who make up the largest share of visa recipients.
“Is it time to pause H1B visas?” Lee asked on X, responding to a post alleging that a Walmart executive accepted kickbacks for hiring Indian H1B workers over American citizens. The post, though unverified, reignited debate over foreign work visas and their impact on the domestic job market.
Lee joins a growing chorus of Republican voices challenging the H1B system, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialized roles. First introduced in 1990, the visa program is capped annually at 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 for applicants with US graduate degrees.
Indian professionals, particularly in tech, have historically dominated H1B allocations. But recent layoffs in the US tech sector have sharpened scrutiny of the program’s fairness.
“You see big tech firms laying off 9,000 employees and then applying for thousands of overseas work visas—it just doesn’t add up,” Vice President JD Vance said on a podcast in July. “I don’t support companies firing thousands of American workers and then claiming they can’t find talent here.”
Newly appointed USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has signaled that the Trump administration is preparing to tighten H1B rules. He has proposed reforms that would shift from a lottery-based system to one that awards visas by wage level—prioritizing the highest-paying roles.
“The way H1B needs to be used… is to supplement, not supplant, the US economy and US workers,” Edlow said.
The policy shift is already drawing interest among conservative commentators, including Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer, who have criticized the program for displacing American labor. Despite this, former President Donald Trump has voiced support for H1Bs in the past. “It’s a great program,” Trump said. “I have many H1B visas on my properties.”