Trump supports tech billionaire Elon Musk in H-1B visa debate, citing personal use of program while facing criticism from immigration hardliners.
Trump aligns with Musk in H-1B visa controversy, claims long-standing support for the program
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday expressed solidarity with prominent supporter and tech industry titan Elon Musk during an ongoing dispute about H-1B visas, declaring his complete endorsement of the foreign tech worker program that some of his base opposes.
Trump's statement came after Musk, who leads both Tesla and SpaceX, declared on social media late Friday that he would battle to protect the visa program for overseas tech talent.
Trump, who previously enacted restrictions on the visa program during his first term, conveyed his support to The New York Post on Saturday.
"At my properties, I employ many H-1B visa holders. I've consistently backed H-1B. I've implemented it repeatedly. It's an excellent program," the publication quoted him saying.
Musk, who became a U.S. citizen after immigrating from South Africa, previously held an H-1B visa, and his electric vehicle company Tesla secured 724 such visas this year. These visas typically span three years, with options for extension or transition to permanent residency.
The confrontation erupted earlier this week when far-right activists attacked Trump's appointment of Sriram Krishnan, a venture capitalist of Indian American descent, as an artificial intelligence advisor, suggesting he could shape the Trump administration's immigration stance.
Musk's social media response targeted Trump supporters and immigration restrictionists who have increasingly demanded the termination of the H-1B visa program amid intensifying discussions about immigration and the role of skilled foreign workers entering on work visas.
On Friday, longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon criticized "big tech oligarchs" for their H-1B support and framed immigration as endangering Western civilization.
In reaction, Musk and numerous tech industry leaders emphasized the distinction between legal and illegal immigration.
Trump has vowed to remove all undocumented immigrants, implement protective tariffs to boost American employment, and significantly limit immigration.
The visa debate illustrates how tech figures like Musk -- who has assumed a crucial role in the presidential transition, offering guidance on staffing and policy -- are facing increasing scrutiny from Trump's supporters.
America's technology sector depends on the federal H-1B visa program to recruit skilled foreign workers for its operations, though critics argue this practice suppresses wages for American workers.
Musk has invested over a quarter billion dollars to support Trump's November election victory. Throughout the week, he has frequently posted about the shortage of domestic talent to fill essential positions in American technology companies.