Fox News host slams H-1B 'cheap labour' scheme, says 70% of holders are Indian

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 15, 2025 05:04 IST

Fox News host Will Cain ignited a debate over the H-1B visa programme, tearing it apart on-air in a viral segment that resonated with conservative influencers. Cain criticized the programme as a tool used by corporations, particularly tech giants, to hire foreign workers at a fraction of the cost of American labour. His remarks come as the Trump Labor Department launches nearly 200 investigations into H-1B abuse.

Cain sharply called out the discrepancies in the H-1B programme: "That's a little hard to stomach when we hear we're not talented or skilled enough, when you consider most are entry-or-junior level." According to Cain, "70% of H-1B visa holders come from India, and another 10-15% from China, while 80% of H-1B approvals are for entry and junior-level jobs!" He pointed out that these figures were in stark contrast to claims that Americans aren’t skilled enough for these roles.

"It's definitely to the benefit of corporations, tech companies — that can hire foreign workers... cheaper than American workers," Cain added, calling attention to how companies often bypass native talent for cheaper foreign labour. This theme of exploiting foreign workers for cost savings echoed the criticisms made by Oculus and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, who described the H-1B program as “obviously a program to try and replace American workers with slave labour that can’t ever escape.”

The backlash against the H-1B visa programme has intensified, with Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene vowing to introduce legislation to phase it out. Greene echoed the growing sentiment among conservatives, calling out the mass replacement of American workers and insisting the H-1B programme has been abused by industries to undercut native-born workers.

"Big Tech, AI giants, hospitals, and industries across the board have abused the H-1B system to cut out our own people," Greene said in a post on X . She added that she believes in the immense talent of Americans, stating, "Americans are the most talented people in the world, and I have full faith in the American people. I serve Americans only, and I will ALWAYS put Americans first."

THE TRUMP FACTOR

The H-1B debate took a fresh turn following a Tuesday interview between President Donald Trump and Fox News' Laura Ingraham. Trump defended the visa programme, which is seen as a pathway for foreign workers to fill high-skilled jobs in the US. However, his comments led to fierce pushback from conservative voices, who argue that the influx of foreign workers is hurting American wages and job prospects.

In the interview, Ingraham sharply countered Trump’s support for the programme, stating, “If you want to raise wages for American workers, you can’t flood the country with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of foreign workers.” Trump's response, “No, you don’t,” only fueled the division, with conservative figures like podcaster Benny Johnson and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon echoing calls to ban the H-1B programme entirely.

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