'MAGA activists express concerns over Musk's influence on Trump regarding legal migration issues: "He owes them"'
Although some hardliners acknowledge that substantial H-1B reforms are challenging, they maintain that they hold influence in the upcoming administration.
TroibNews 
Immigration hawks believe they’ve secured a significant victory in their confrontation with billionaire Elon Musk regarding specialty foreign worker visas. Nevertheless, they are privately concerned about maintaining their influence within the GOP as tech moguls gain prominence with Donald Trump's return to the White House.
This public dispute became evident over the holidays, with MAGA activists advocating for stricter measures on a program aimed at attracting high-skilled immigrant workers. Corporate figures, reliant on such labor, found themselves at odds with these activists. The confrontation culminated in Musk admitting on X that the H-1B visa program he once praised “is broken and needs major reform.”
As a result of this conflict, groups advocating for reduced legal immigration are tempering their expectations for the forthcoming Republican leadership, especially as the party seeks to broaden its appeal, leading to new ideological clashes. The “America First” faction now faces challenges from both the traditional GOP business sector—which supports low-cost labor—and a tech industry that has only recently begun to align with Republican views.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower legal immigration rates, remarked, “You’ve got to understand, even if you're the most MAGA of MAGA people, these guys helped Trump get elected, and he owes them.” He expressed his belief that while immigration levels should be significantly reduced, the reality is that the H-1B program is unlikely to disappear, especially given Congress’s inability to pass even a budget.
This tension reveals an ongoing struggle within the expanding GOP between the populist base and established corporate interests, now reinforced by prominent tech leaders such as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, his co-leader at the Department of Government Efficiency. The corporate interests seem to currently hold the advantage, although immigration restriction advocates are still hopeful for administrative changes that may limit both legal and illegal immigration.
Krikorian indicated that up to three of his staff members will soon be part of the Trump administration, highlighting a growing influence for organizations pushing for reduced legal immigration in the next four years. He refrained from naming them; however, one—CIS' director of investigations Jon Feere—is already part of Trump’s "landing team" at the Department of Homeland Security. Feere did not provide a comment.
Jack Posobiec, a notable MAGA podcaster critical of the H-1B initiative, anticipates that Trump could reinstate executive orders from his first term aimed at making it harder for companies to employ foreign workers and increasing salary requirements. “I would not be surprised to see them return,” he stated.
A Trump spokesperson has not responded to requests for comments regarding these matters.
Rep. Byron Donalds, a close ally of Trump, expects that revising the H-1B visa program won’t be a primary focus for the GOP this year. “It may get into a package this year or not, who knows,” he commented on the potential for change regarding the H-1B visa. “The number-one focus we have is going to be on actually securing the nation's borders, repatriation of illegal immigrants to their home countries, getting our economy on track.”
In contrast, other Republicans, including Rep. Tony Gonzales, downplayed the divisions within the party on this issue, asserting that the pro-business faction is significantly more influential than the immigration restrictionists. "We’ve got President Trump, Elon Musk, myself and just about every other Republican on one side," he remarked, "and, I think, just a handful of people on the other."
Similar rifts are evident within the Democratic Party as it seeks a path forward after Kamala Harris' loss, attempting to balance elite corporate interests with its base of racial and economically diverse working-class voters who have shifted rightward.
On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders found common ground with the MAGA movement by criticizing the H-1B visa program, claiming it is used “not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad.”
Sanders has previously voiced similar concerns, but some immigration restrictionists interpret his remarks as a signal of a broader change in sentiment. Steve Bannon, a former top aide to Trump, told PMG that this indicates “the birth of a new politics.”
Labor organizations perceive the recent developments as a potential opening for bipartisan H-1B reforms in the upcoming administration. Still, they worry that this chance may diminish if Trump continues to cater to those advocating for maintaining or enlarging the program.
“I actually met with him personally on this issue in 2020… and Trump basically said, ‘Americans need American jobs first,’” recounted IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, who represents countless engineers. “And what's confusing to me is it sounds like now he’s listening to tech billionaires and tech employers on how the visa program ought to work, and saying the opposite of what he was thinking then.”
The H-1B visa program has long been contentious within both the Republican and Democratic parties, with some politicians promoting it as a means to augment the skilled labor force and foster U.S. innovation, while others argue it undermines American jobs.
Federal authorities have consistently raised alarms about high instances of fraud in the program, particularly concerning companies manipulating the lottery system by requesting more workers than necessary. A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that 73% of Republicans support reducing immigration levels overall, while a September 2022 survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs indicated that two-thirds of Republicans with a favorable view of Trump also desire a decrease in legal immigration.
Groups advocating for stricter immigration laws argue that they effectively challenged Musk and Ramaswamy’s calls for expanding the H-1B program by inciting a strong online backlash over the holidays.
“They didn't appreciate how intensely felt this concern for immigration was among Trump's voter base,” Krikorian commented. “The tech people do not understand the politics of this issue. And over Christmas week, they got a lesson. And Trump himself, I think, got a lesson.”
Despite this, Trump voiced support for the H-1B program following the conflict, stating that the country needs “smart people” and noting that he employs many individuals with such visas, calling it a “great program.” This view represents a notable shift from his previous characterizations of the H-1B as “unfair” and “very bad” for American workers.
During his first term, Trump sought to tighten H-1B visa regulations, with his advisor Stephen Miller advocating for such limitations. Miller has been appointed as Trump’s incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, reflecting the prominent roles that immigration hawks will play in the new administration. Vice President-elect JD Vance has also voiced criticisms of H-1B visas.
Nevertheless, immigration restrictionist groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform express concern that Musk and other tech moguls may overshadow their perspectives.
“If they have an outsized influence, you have a case of the fox guarding the henhouse,” cautioned Ira Mehlman, media director for FAIR. “Look, these are vital industries. We should listen to what they have to say. But there's also the concerns of American workers that need to be taken into account.”
Brakkton Booker contributed reporting.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
This public dispute became evident over the holidays, with MAGA activists advocating for stricter measures on a program aimed at attracting high-skilled immigrant workers. Corporate figures, reliant on such labor, found themselves at odds with these activists. The confrontation culminated in Musk admitting on X that the H-1B visa program he once praised “is broken and needs major reform.”
As a result of this conflict, groups advocating for reduced legal immigration are tempering their expectations for the forthcoming Republican leadership, especially as the party seeks to broaden its appeal, leading to new ideological clashes. The “America First” faction now faces challenges from both the traditional GOP business sector—which supports low-cost labor—and a tech industry that has only recently begun to align with Republican views.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower legal immigration rates, remarked, “You’ve got to understand, even if you're the most MAGA of MAGA people, these guys helped Trump get elected, and he owes them.” He expressed his belief that while immigration levels should be significantly reduced, the reality is that the H-1B program is unlikely to disappear, especially given Congress’s inability to pass even a budget.
This tension reveals an ongoing struggle within the expanding GOP between the populist base and established corporate interests, now reinforced by prominent tech leaders such as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, his co-leader at the Department of Government Efficiency. The corporate interests seem to currently hold the advantage, although immigration restriction advocates are still hopeful for administrative changes that may limit both legal and illegal immigration.
Krikorian indicated that up to three of his staff members will soon be part of the Trump administration, highlighting a growing influence for organizations pushing for reduced legal immigration in the next four years. He refrained from naming them; however, one—CIS' director of investigations Jon Feere—is already part of Trump’s "landing team" at the Department of Homeland Security. Feere did not provide a comment.
Jack Posobiec, a notable MAGA podcaster critical of the H-1B initiative, anticipates that Trump could reinstate executive orders from his first term aimed at making it harder for companies to employ foreign workers and increasing salary requirements. “I would not be surprised to see them return,” he stated.
A Trump spokesperson has not responded to requests for comments regarding these matters.
Rep. Byron Donalds, a close ally of Trump, expects that revising the H-1B visa program won’t be a primary focus for the GOP this year. “It may get into a package this year or not, who knows,” he commented on the potential for change regarding the H-1B visa. “The number-one focus we have is going to be on actually securing the nation's borders, repatriation of illegal immigrants to their home countries, getting our economy on track.”
In contrast, other Republicans, including Rep. Tony Gonzales, downplayed the divisions within the party on this issue, asserting that the pro-business faction is significantly more influential than the immigration restrictionists. "We’ve got President Trump, Elon Musk, myself and just about every other Republican on one side," he remarked, "and, I think, just a handful of people on the other."
Similar rifts are evident within the Democratic Party as it seeks a path forward after Kamala Harris' loss, attempting to balance elite corporate interests with its base of racial and economically diverse working-class voters who have shifted rightward.
On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders found common ground with the MAGA movement by criticizing the H-1B visa program, claiming it is used “not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad.”
Sanders has previously voiced similar concerns, but some immigration restrictionists interpret his remarks as a signal of a broader change in sentiment. Steve Bannon, a former top aide to Trump, told PMG that this indicates “the birth of a new politics.”
Labor organizations perceive the recent developments as a potential opening for bipartisan H-1B reforms in the upcoming administration. Still, they worry that this chance may diminish if Trump continues to cater to those advocating for maintaining or enlarging the program.
“I actually met with him personally on this issue in 2020… and Trump basically said, ‘Americans need American jobs first,’” recounted IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, who represents countless engineers. “And what's confusing to me is it sounds like now he’s listening to tech billionaires and tech employers on how the visa program ought to work, and saying the opposite of what he was thinking then.”
The H-1B visa program has long been contentious within both the Republican and Democratic parties, with some politicians promoting it as a means to augment the skilled labor force and foster U.S. innovation, while others argue it undermines American jobs.
Federal authorities have consistently raised alarms about high instances of fraud in the program, particularly concerning companies manipulating the lottery system by requesting more workers than necessary. A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that 73% of Republicans support reducing immigration levels overall, while a September 2022 survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs indicated that two-thirds of Republicans with a favorable view of Trump also desire a decrease in legal immigration.
Groups advocating for stricter immigration laws argue that they effectively challenged Musk and Ramaswamy’s calls for expanding the H-1B program by inciting a strong online backlash over the holidays.
“They didn't appreciate how intensely felt this concern for immigration was among Trump's voter base,” Krikorian commented. “The tech people do not understand the politics of this issue. And over Christmas week, they got a lesson. And Trump himself, I think, got a lesson.”
Despite this, Trump voiced support for the H-1B program following the conflict, stating that the country needs “smart people” and noting that he employs many individuals with such visas, calling it a “great program.” This view represents a notable shift from his previous characterizations of the H-1B as “unfair” and “very bad” for American workers.
During his first term, Trump sought to tighten H-1B visa regulations, with his advisor Stephen Miller advocating for such limitations. Miller has been appointed as Trump’s incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, reflecting the prominent roles that immigration hawks will play in the new administration. Vice President-elect JD Vance has also voiced criticisms of H-1B visas.
Nevertheless, immigration restrictionist groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform express concern that Musk and other tech moguls may overshadow their perspectives.
“If they have an outsized influence, you have a case of the fox guarding the henhouse,” cautioned Ira Mehlman, media director for FAIR. “Look, these are vital industries. We should listen to what they have to say. But there's also the concerns of American workers that need to be taken into account.”
Brakkton Booker contributed reporting.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
