President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday publicly aligned himself with billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk in a heated debate over the H-1B visa program, signaling his support for bringing foreign tech workers to the United States despite opposition from some of his own supporters.
Trump’s endorsement came after Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, took to social media late Friday, vowing to go to “war” to defend the H-1B visa program, which allows companies to hire specialized foreign workers.
“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” Trump told The New York Post on Saturday.
Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from South Africa, previously held an H-1B visa himself. His company, Tesla, reportedly obtained 724 of these visas this year alone. The H-1B visa, typically issued for three-year periods, allows holders to extend their stay or apply for green cards.
The controversy ignited earlier this week when far-right activists criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American venture capitalist, as an adviser on artificial intelligence. Critics argued that Krishnan’s influence could shape the administration’s immigration policies in favor of foreign workers.
Musk’s defense of the visa program was directed at immigration hard-liners who have advocated for its elimination amid a broader debate over immigration and the role of skilled foreign workers in the U.S. economy.
On Friday, Steve Bannon, a long-time confidante of Trump, critiqued “big tech oligarchs” for supporting the H-1B program, framing immigration as a threat to Western civilization.
In response, Musk and other tech industry leaders have sought to differentiate between legal and illegal immigration, emphasizing the importance of attracting global talent to maintain the industry’s competitiveness.
Despite previously moving to limit the use of H-1B visas during his first presidency, Trump’s latest stance suggests a shift in his approach to immigration policy. He has also pledged to deport immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally, impose tariffs to create jobs for American citizens, and severely restrict immigration.
