E-Paper
H1B visa row: Influencer corrects MAGA over 'Indian store clerk’ claim; 'don’t understand why…'
Bill Mitchell has publicly called out the MAGA movement that claims H-1B visas bring Indians into the US as "low-skilled workers" like "store clerks."
Conservative commentator Bill Mitchell publicly rebuked a faction within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement that claims H-1B visas are being used to bring Indians into the U.S. as low-skilled workers, like “store clerks.”
Mitchell argued that the H-1B program was never meant for clerical roles but is explicitly designed for “degreed individuals with very special skills.”
Read more: H-1B employee laid off: Here's ‘plan B’ every Indian worker in US needs
Mitchell calls the narrative misleading
Mitchell called out the MAGA faction that criticized Trump's defense of H-1B visas for specialized manufacturing roles. According to him, the narrative that Indian workers are filling low-wage, unskilled roles on H-1B is not only misleading but also politically toxic.
He also called out some MAGA influencers for twisting facts to stir anti-immigrant sentiment, saying such tactics could severely damage the movement's credibility.
“A store clerk can't get an H-1B visa,” Mitchell wrote on social media. He called out right-wing commentators for misrepresenting visa rules to rally supporters. He warned that eliminating the H-1B program would be “an absolute disaster” for America’s technology sector.
Maga divided over the H-1B row
President Donald Trump defended the continued use of H-1B visas at the US-Saudi Investment Forum, arguing that foreign experts are needed to teach Americans how to build high-tech facilities. His remarks, however, angered some of his MAGA base who believe more emphasis should be placed on hiring U.S.-born workers.
The MAGA movement is now divided between hardline nativists who want to restrict skilled visas and pro-business conservatives who see H-1B as essential for economic growth.
The section that Mitchell highlighted argues that companies use the H-1B visa to hire low-cost foreign labour. Mitchell's defense appeals to the group, arguing that it is vital to bring in specialists crucial for industries like semiconductor manufacturing.
Read more: Indian-origin venture capitalist says H-1Bs should be reserved for ‘top talent’
H-1B workers form America's talent economy
The Washington Post noted, H-1B workers, many from India, have long been a symbol of America’s talent economy.
Many Indian professionals on H-1B who work in technology and other high-skill industries are now caught in the middle of American immigration politics, dealing with both public animosity and policy uncertainty.
