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Bernie Sanders slams Elon Musk over H-1B visa stance
Senator Sanders also criticized the practice of hiring foreign workers as a means of boosting profits for billionaires.
Senator Bernie Sanders. / Wikipedia
As the debate surrounding the H-1B visa program continues to intensify in the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders has taken aim at Elon Musk, a key ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, accusing the tech mogul of exploiting the system to hire cheaper labor.
“Elon Musk is wrong,” Sanders said, responding to Musk's stance on the program. “The main function of the H-1B visa program is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad.”
Elon Musk is wrong.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 2, 2025
The main function of the H-1B visa program is not to hire “the best and the brightest,” but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad.
The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make. pic.twitter.com/Mwz7i9TcSM
Sanders also criticized the practice of hiring foreign workers as a means of boosting profits for billionaires, adding, “The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make.”
In his comments, Sanders pointed to a troubling trend in 2022 and 2023, when the top 30 corporations utilizing the H-1B program laid off at least 85,000 American workers while hiring over 34,000 new H-1B guest workers.
According to Sanders, “There are estimates that as many as 33% of all new Information Technology jobs in America are being filled by guest workers.”
He also referenced Census Bureau data that shows millions of Americans with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) who are not currently employed in these fields.
In response to Sanders’ criticism, Indian-American cardiologist Dr. Anil took to social media platform X to offer a different perspective. “Without the H-1B visa, my path to US citizenship would have been impossible,” Dr. Anil wrote. “Before hiring me, my employer struggled for over a year to find a qualified, well-trained cardiologist to serve rural Kansas. I’d be happy to meet with you to provide a clearer picture of how the H-1B programme supports underserved communities and strengthens our nation.”
An immigration lawyer, also responding on X, voiced a strong disagreement with Sanders’ position. “I could not disagree with you more,” the lawyer said. “Part of the H-1B deal is that the sponsoring employer will not undercut American wages. No system is without its flaws but H-1B is an invaluable hiring tool for US employers.”
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