Musk’s position
H-1B visa is the greatest hope for those moving to America in search of a better job. For now, Washington has put a cap on it. These visas are issued every year to 65 thousand people. Since 2006, this visa has also been granted to an additional 20,000 professionals. There were more than 75,000 H-1B visa holders in 2023. However, given the demand for professionals in US industry, this number is also lower. For this reason, Elon Musk, a Trump ally, has expressed the need for major reform of the visa system. Trump’s latest position did not come to light until after Musk’s statement.
Wrong perspective
About 70% of the H-1B visas America issues every year are to Indians. For this reason, any development related to this matter affects Indians the most. Unfortunately, Trump returned to power this time with a hardline stance on immigrants. He maintained the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) vision, which is why he talked about prioritizing Americans for jobs and being tough on illegal immigrants. Since the largest number of expatriates are Indians, traditional Trump voters have shifted their leader’s stance towards anti-Indian views.
The conflict will end
Since Trump appointed Sriram Krishnan as his AI policy advisor, some people in America have expressed anger towards NRIs. There is a controversy going on on social media platforms, and its trend has become anti-India. This sterile debate must end with Trump’s statement.
Importance of immigrants
If diaspora Indians or citizens of other countries need America, America also needs to support these immigrants. Musk realizes this because Musk, who was born in South Africa, benefited from an H-1B visa. He knows how big a role immigrants played in bringing America to the top, especially in the world of technology.
