Trump Reverses H-1B Stance: Warns U.S. Lacks Skilled Workers for Tech and Manufacturing

By: Shawn
‎President Donald Trump appears to have softened his stance on H-1B visas, acknowledging the crucial role skilled foreign workers play in the U.S. workforce. Speaking to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump stressed the nation’s lack of certain specialized skills, highlighting that businesses cannot rely solely on training unemployed Americans to meet all technical demands.
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‎Trump signals support for H-1B visas for skilled workers, acknowledging U.S. labor gaps and the role of foreign talent in tech and manufacturing.
‎Alex Brandon/AP
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‎Earlier this year, the White House implemented a $100,000 one-time fee for H-1B visas, targeting high-skilled foreign professionals, particularly in the tech industry. Critics, including Y Combinator CEO Gary Tan, warned the fee could hinder startups and smaller businesses by limiting access to top talent. Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that startups with higher H-1B visa rates were more likely to secure funding, patents, and achieve IPOs or acquisitions.
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‎H-1B approvals have surged, with nearly 400,000 visas granted in fiscal 2024, double the amount approved in fiscal 2020. Leading tech figures, such as Elon Musk, have advocated for the program as a means to attract highly skilled professionals to U.S. companies, though without the $100,000 fee.
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‎Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previously defended the fee, arguing that distributing too many visas would not be economically efficient and emphasizing that employers should invest in training American workers. Economists, however, warned that strict immigration policies could reduce the U.S. labor force by 15.7 million and cut GDP growth by one-third over the next decade, according to the National Foundation for American Policy.
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‎Trump also addressed the Georgia Hyundai plant ICE raid, which detained 475 workers, mostly from South Korea. The raid disrupted the factory’s operations, delaying the opening of Hyundai’s $26 billion U.S. investment. Trump acknowledged that foreign employees at the plant possessed critical skills in battery manufacturing, underscoring the complexity and dangers of the work.
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‎“Making batteries is very complicated. It’s not an easy thing. Very dangerous, a lot of explosions, a lot of problems,” Trump said. “They had like 500 or 600 people, early stages, to make batteries and to teach people how to do it. Well, they wanted them to get out of the country. You’re going to need that, Laura.”

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