‘H-1B a total scam’: Florida Governor DeSantis says visa system benefits Indian workers

US visa news

Amid US President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sharply criticized the H-1B visa program, calling it a “total scam.” He argued that the visa enables companies to hire cheaper foreign workers from India, which negatively impacts American employees, in an interview with Fox News.

DeSantis’s remarks came shortly after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted at significant changes to the H-1B visa and green card system, affecting millions of foreign workers and students in the US.

“The H-1B has become a total scam. These companies game the system, and you have some of these companies that are laying off large numbers of Americans while they are also getting new H-1Bs and renewing H-1Bs," DeSantis could be heard telling Fox News in a widely shared video.

The Florida governor also pointed out that many companies are laying off American workers while recruiting those on H-1B visas, noting that the majority of H-1B holders are from India.

“And a lot of times people used to say, ‘well, we’re getting cream in crop from all around the world’, but the reality is that’s not actually what H-1Bs are. Most of them are from one country, India," he said.

"Look at what’s happening to young people in this current job market because of artificial intelligence. You are starting to see evidence, there have been much tougher times because of what’s happening with AI. So if that’s going to continue to produce dislocations, why would we be importing foreign workers when we have our own people that we need to take care of," he further added.