Need to bring in talent, not many in US: Trump's rare defence of H1-B visa

In a rare move, US President Donald Trump appeared to defend the H1-B visa programme, whose majority of beneficiaries are Indians, saying the country needed to bring in talent from abroad to address a shortage of domestic workers for available jobs.

During an appearance on Fox News, Trump was asked whether his administration would prioritise the H1-B visa programme over fears that it could suppress wages for American workers.

"I agree, but you do also have to bring in talent," he replied.

When the interviewer interjected and said, "We have plenty of talented workers," the President quickly shot back, "No, you don't."

"You don't have certain talents. People have to learn. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory where we’re going to make missiles’," he added.

The President's rare endorsement of the H1-B came less than two months after his administration hiked the annual fee for the visa programme to a whopping USD 100,000, sending shockwaves among the country's entire expat workforce, including Indians.

The move was the latest in a series of efforts to crackdown on immigration and place strict restrictions on the types of people allowed into the country.

In the proclamation issued by Trump on September 19, H-1B employees, including current visa holders, would be denied entry to the US unless their employer has paid the amount for the employee.

Amid panic, the White House, however, clarified that the new fee applied only to fresh applicants and not current holders.

Further in the interview, Trump also pointed to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai facility in Georgia in September.

"They raided because they wanted illegal immigrants out. There were people from South Korea (at the facility) who made batteries all their lives. Making batteries is very complicated. It’s not an easy thing. Very dangerous, a lot of explosions, a lot of problems. 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," he added.

During the ICE raid, more than 300 South Korean workers were detained, prompting the government in Seoul to launch a probe into human rights violations. Officials said that they did not receive prior notice of the raid.

When Trump visited South Korea last month, the President said that he was “very much opposed” to the raid.

- Ends