'They skip Americans to hire Indians': Azoria CEO calls H-1B a scam, tells firms stop

Calling the H-1B program a “scam” that’s robbing Americans of jobs and dignity, Azoria CEO James Fishback has launched a full-throated attack on U.S. companies that hire Indian tech workers — accusing them of exploiting loopholes to dodge hiring qualified Americans.

In a string of posts and interviews, Fishback — who previously developed the DOGE checks tool and made headlines after publicly splitting with Elon Musk — has sharpened his criticism of the visa program, claiming it hurts U.S. workers, particularly in states like Florida.

“The H-1B scam is hurting Americans, especially in Florida,” Fishback posted on X. “If companies in FL want to hire skilled workers, stop importing Indians and hire recent grads from FSU, UF, FAU, and UCF. They are brilliant, hungry, and love our state.”

His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of the H-1B system following the Trump administration’s decision to hike visa fees to $100,000 — a move that Fishback has praised.

In a recent video, he accused “so-called American companies” of gaming the system by hiding job ads in obscure newspapers and then claiming they couldn’t find domestic applicants. “It’s disgraceful. It’s time to finally and fully dismantle the H-1B scam,” he said.

Fishback has also drawn fire for his remarks targeting Indian and Chinese workers directly. “The Indians and Chinese think they are better off, but they too end up getting exploited. Otherwise, I have no sympathy for them, because they are treating us like slaves in our own country,” he said.

In a Fox News interview, Fishback doubled down, claiming that American students are being sidelined by tech giants in favor of cheaper foreign hires. He cited conversations with AI and computer science students at Florida State University who allegedly felt they were losing out to H-1B applicants at companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Meta.

Critics say Fishback’s rhetoric feeds into growing anti-immigrant sentiment and fuels stereotypes about Indian and Chinese professionals. Groups like the Hindu American Foundation have already warned of rising Hinduphobia and anti-Indian bias amid the ongoing visa crackdown.

As debates over immigration, labor, and equity intensify ahead of the U.S. elections, Fishback has positioned himself as one of the loudest voices pushing for a complete overhaul — or elimination — of the H-1B program.