Probably one of the healthiest policy debates inside the Republican Party took place over Christmas about the clear and blatant abuses of H-1B visas.
Like clockwork, slack-jawed grifters demanded that “America First” lay down their swords, calling it a distraction from the “unifying coalition” between MAGA, Elon Musk and the rest of the Silicon Valley crew. But what they don’t understand is that the lesson the new Republican party is learning is that free and open debate is a cornerstone of a healthy relationship.
Half of America’s voices were silenced for a decade and we forgot what civic debate looks like
It’s a healthy learning process (and of course with a tiny number of genuinely bad apples)
But together we save America ❤️ 🇺🇸 https://t.co/yVs8G1mk37
— Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) December 28, 2024
If the ultimate goal is to rebuild our country from the ashes left by globalist elites and Make America Great Again, a clear action plan is needed. We won’t achieve that by shutting down policy discussions between the powerful and those directly affected by their decisions. (RELATED: Neil Patel: Everyone Is Wrong On Skilled Immigration)
While millions of Americans are thankful for the help tech bros gave Republicans in November, that doesn’t mean their goodwill earned them the right to make decisions for us, especially on some of the most important issues of our time: immigration reform and the discrimination against American workers.
America’s current H1B skilled visa system is a complete giveaway to corporate America, primarily big tech. We bring in skilled foreigners only when a company sponsors them. The system then keeps many of these workers in a legal limbo, often for decades. That whole time they are… https://t.co/RwzFk2kwLz
— Neil Patel (@NeilPatelTDC) December 27, 2024
The tech giants who joined the America First movement after being Democrats all their lives probably have no idea that immigration was one of the top issues that won President-elect Donald Trump the White House in 2016. He was not just the only Republican candidate discussing the scourge of unchecked immigration but the only candidate in both parties willing to stand up for middle Americans against it. (RELATED: Left-Wing Research Group Blows Warning Whistle On Democrats’ Future)
Trump won blue-collar workers who voted blue for decades all because he promised to close the border and bring back their manufacturing jobs. Trump acknowledged that the discrimination they experienced was real and vowed to end it.
Not many Americans who weren’t in Silicon Valley paid much attention to Trump’s move to reform H-1B visas in 2017 because the bulk of the narrative on immigration was focused on illegal immigration happening on the U.S. southern border or American companies shipping their manufacturing plants out of the country.
Anyone who’s ever looked for a job in tech knows how the H1-B scam works.
You write job listings where HR can cross EVERYONE off.
Then you bring in an Indian.
Ever seen “5 years in
” requirements for a tech that only was launched 3 years ago? That’s H1-B fraud.
— Neil Stevens 🇺🇲 (@presjpolk) December 28, 2024
It seems the Silicon Valley elite thought that championing a closed border policy position would earn them the right to excuse the predatory behavior they engaged in for decades. But they found out the hard way that “America First” is not the Tea Party. Instead, the movement is what happens when you try to ignore a festering wound. It grew into a giant, unmovable force that wants to be dealt with.
Throughout the week this debate took place, the typical attacks were lobbed. Anyone who disagreed that H-1B visas were a good thing for American workers was labeled as racist and dumb. Very loudly, we were told that Americans were stupid and lazy, and that’s why Silicon Valley needed to grab “top talent” from other nations. “Americans just aren’t good enough to compete.”
I think the worst of all of the immigration discourse is some of Trump’s best allies being labeled racist for genuine criticisms of the H1B program.
It was terribly dishonest for powerful industry leaders to characterize the discourse by the lowest trolls. Leftist stuff. https://t.co/jNnNheyxm4
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) December 28, 2024
That would have ended the debate a decade ago, with disgruntled Americans retreating with our tail between our legs. However, times have changed. The DEI conversation is not just a whisper anymore. We have watched millions of Americans be left behind on the path of college admissions and job opportunities in favor of foreign prospects. Colleges make more money admitting foreign students; similarly, corporations make more money hiring cheaper foreign workers.
I respect Alex for sharing this story, it takes guts
That said, this is a minor incident. As he said, there probably 10k+ incidents like this from tech
Worse, there has also been overt racism, including explicit quotas or no hiring rules
Sunlight is the best disinfectant https://t.co/lRNVfhZVDk
— Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) December 28, 2024
The question we have to answer is: are we a country of citizens with a distinct history that binds us, or are we a sports team where players don’t mean anything and are easily traded for others? If we are a country, building America and supporting Americans must come first. (RELATED: ROOKE: Daniel Penny For Your Thoughts: Two Biggest News Stories Of The Year Show Exactly What’s Wrong With America)
The debate was necessary to establish a conversation that promotes American workers and students and also informs Americans about the abuses perpetrated by corporations and colleges who would otherwise not know.
That’s zero job offers total, big dog.
Tech or otherwise.
I was 10k away from needing to raid my 401k to make rent when we finally raised money for our company. https://t.co/kxAyIRVCH9
— joshua steinman (🇺🇸,🇺🇸) (@JoshuaSteinman) December 27, 2024
Anyone claiming that its only purpose is so that Democrats can drive a wedge between the new tech bro America First coalition is lying to you or doesn’t understand the point. Democrats, in large part, lost the 2024 election because any public discussion on important policy issues was immediately shot down in order to display a unified front to their opposition — the Republican party.
We watched the Democrats get demolished because meaningful policy discussions were not allowed to take place publicly with the people they directly affected. Now, everyone in charge knows exactly where we stand, and more of us are informed on a topic they otherwise wouldn’t be
— Mary Rooke (@MaryRooke_) December 30, 2024
Killing public debate is the losing way, and Republicans cannot adopt Democrat strategies if they want longevity in American political culture.
Trump is not in office yet, so only time will tell who will win the fight on H-1B visas or similar immigration reform. However, what is not up for debate is the reality that America First wants American workers and students at the forefront of policy decisions, and we aren’t going to back down this time.
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This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
