Analysis: H-1B Visa, Trump, And The MAGA Backlash

Days before President-elect Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20, an open battle has erupted between two groups of Trump supporters - DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) versus MAGA (Make America Great Again) - over the misuse of the H-1B visa programme by Indians.

As of now, Trump seems to be supporting the DOGE team under tech titans Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in the row over the visa programme that brings skilled workers to the US. However, Tesla CEO Musk admitted that the H-1B visa system was "broken" and that it needed "major reform".

Trump chose to walk into the debate and reportedly said that he "always liked" H-1B visas and hired guest workers under the scheme - even though he has previously been critical of the programme. That has left his MAGA fan base in shock.

Why the resentment?

The discussion became intense after the nomination of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-origin venture capitalist, to lead AI policy in the Trump administration. Krishnan's views on social media in the past, advocating relaxation in green card restrictions for skilled workers, have enraged MAGA critics who accuse him of pushing an "India First" agenda.

Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer criticised Krishnan's appointment and blamed Musk and Ramaswamy for neglecting American workers.

This has pitched Trump's advisors from the tech world, immigrants themselves, against native Republicans - the MAGA supporters. The MAGA group supported Trump in the hope that he will take strict action on all kinds of immigration. Trump is known to have opposed H-1B visas in the past.

"Trump openly coming out in support of the H1B visa programme means that he is antagonising the hard-line anti-immigration supporters in the MAGA coalition," says Uma Purushothaman, Associate Professor, US Studies, School of International Studies, JNU.

"But given the strength of his victory this time and his close ties to techno oligarchs like Elon Musk, it is a constituency he might be willing to sideline for the time being," she adds.

It is clear to the world that both Musk and Ramaswamy believe that America's tech industry relies heavily on engineers and professionals from countries like India.

"If you want your team to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be," Musk posted on X, pointing to a "permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent" in Silicon Valley.

'America beckons, but Americans repel'

The chasm between the old timers in the Trump camp, mostly far-right nativists, and the newcomers who came to America late as immigrants but are Trump supporters like Musk and Ramaswamy, is now out in the open.

Nikki Haley, Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations and a former Republican presidential candidate, is another major voice arguing against Ramaswamy and Musk.

Haley, like Ramaswamy, was born to Indian immigrants, but joined the camp opposing the visa programme led by right-wing MAGA supporters.

Trump faces nothing short of a tightrope act as he prepares for his second presidency.

"As a businessman, Trump knows the advantages of these programmes. Trump's stance means that his focus is going to be more on illegal immigration than shutting down visa programmes. He would possibly try to reform these programmes, though, as Musk has said," says Purushothaman.

'America beckons, but Americans repel' is an old immigrant proverb born in the nineteenth century. Yet it holds true even today as native-born Republicans, some only a generation or two or more themselves, voice their resentment for new immigrants like Musk, Ramaswamy and Krishnan and their ilk.

The 'fear of competition' ingrained in 'nativists' fails to consider America's lack of skilled manpower requirements. In the old days, America required immigrant labourers to work in its factories. Similarly, the country now requires qualified immigrant engineers to power the country's technology sector.

Recent research by Boundless, an immigration consultancy, points out that about 73% of the H-1B visas were issued to Indians compared to only 12% to Chinese. It shows the skills, talent and academic qualifications of Indian nationals are increasingly required over the years to shape America's primacy.

Though Indians form merely 1.5% of the US population, they occupy high profile posts such as doctors, CEOs, scientists and even astronauts, and have the highest median income compared to other immigrants.

Even feeling threatened by DOGE or for that matter Sriram seems to be far-fetched now. They are merely advisors who will probably help make policies. They won't be running the government; they are not part of the Trump administration.

Indians living illegally in the US is an issue that must be tackled by the Trump administration. The Indian government must take up the recent hate-mongering against Indians by MAGA supporters with the US government. At the same time, India needs to take steps to stop all illegal migration via 'dunki' routes. Only then will we have the high moral ground.