As 2025 begins, President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence has ignited a firestorm of anti-Indian sentiment in far-right digital spaces. Born in India, Krishnan has become a lightning rod in debates on immigration policy, with particular attention on the H-1B visa program. This controversy has exposed a rift among Trump supporters; entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy advocate for expanding the program, while far-right commentators call for its outright abolition. From my perspective, the H-1B visa program is a flawed but essential system that requires thoughtful and careful reform, not elimination or unchecked expansion.
The H-1B visa program was first signed into law in 1990 under the George H.W. Bush administration with the intention of employing highly-skilled engineers from abroad. Workers granted an H-1B visa are not United States citizens, and their livelihoods in the U.S. are directly tied to their sponsoring employer.
The H-1B has its fair share of issues. Unlike naturalized citizens, H-1B workers are not protected against retaliation and cannot advocate for their workers’ rights because their ability to stay in the country relies on a company’s sponsorship. This power imbalance gives a massive advantage to Big Tech companies, as they have the ability to force H-1B workers to work more hours with less pay without any significant pushback.
For example, in order for an H-1B worker to switch jobs, they must file a visa transfer petition, a time-consuming and expensive process. And, if an H-1B worker is laid off, they are granted a mere 60-day grace period to find a new job or risk deportation.
In addition to this, the number of applicants for the H-1B programs often far exceeds the number of available spots, which are made available through a lottery system. In the 2023-24 season, less than 19% of applicants were accepted.
Since the program is highly selective and only imports “the best” workers, business leaders like Musk and Ramaswamy are staunch supporters. Musk stated on X that his companies SpaceX and Tesla “made America strong because of the H1B.” Many of them believe that, in order to compete with China, it is imperative to hire workers from abroad who contribute to the country’s gross domestic product.
The program has often been ridiculed by right-wing political leaders and activists such as Laura Loomer who deemed the H-1B program disgraceful for its employment of foreigners over white Americans. Loomer is not alone in spewing out provocative statements. Alt-right personalities like Stew Peters, Ann Coulter, Charlie Kirk, and Jack Posobiec were all also eager to pile on their disdain on both the H-1B visa program and Indian workers and migrants altogether.
However, the true problem with the H-1B does not lie with these ludicrous racist sentiments espoused by activists like Loomer. While it is true that the H-1B program has notable flaws that need to be fixed, it would also be reckless to scrap the program altogether; what it needs is careful reform. There need to be common sense regulations ensuring that H-1B workers are granted the same rights as American workers and not treated as indentured servants.
This hateful rhetoric could lead conservatives to fear that white Americans are being replaced. However, the limitations of this program proves these fears to be unfounded, as the H-1B program only accepts a total of 85,000 workers per year. The right-wing circles calling for the elimination of the program were driven by an age-old desire to limit the immigration of people of color into the U.S. This ideology perpetuates extremely inflammatory and incendiary rhetoric against people of color, particularly Indian Americans.
However, if America wants to uphold its status as a global superpower, then it is not only necessary to implement programs like the H-1B visa, but it is also important to emphasize the importance of education for American citizens. Solely relying on imported labor to remain a globally dominant force is not reasonable. In a lengthy statement, Ramaswamy elaborated on this idea. The main theme of his post was that “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” and in order for this to change, the culture needs to encourage youth to engage in more math lessons, “science competitions,” reading, and extracurricular activities.
Ramaswamy’s endeavor to make Americans yearn for a more academically-focused lifestyle is a noble ambition. Having more Americans pursue educational excellence is better for America’s overall productivity. But, considering how much time and effort it would take to make such massive cultural shifts, Ramaswamy understands that it cannot be a short-term replacement for the H-1B visa program.
Despite its flaws, the H-1B visa program is an imperfect but indispensable tool for maintaining America’s competitive edge in the global economy. While it is essential to address the program’s shortcomings, such as the power imbalance between employers and workers and the arbitrary lottery system, abolishing it altogether would be reckless and counterproductive. Instead, thoughtful reforms are necessary to protect workers’ rights, prioritize merit, and align the program with America’s broader strategic goals in the global arena.
At the same time, we must invest in cultivating a culture of educational excellence among the American youth to reduce reliance on imported labor long term. If America achieves this dual approach, a reformed H-1B program and an intense emphasis on education will ensure that America remains not just a leader in innovation, but also a beacon in professional opportunity.
