Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s plan to introduce a bill to ban H-1B visas has sparked fierce debate, with a leading immigration expert calling the proposal “one of the most effective ways to hurt Americans” and warning it could lead to more “preventable deaths.”
In an interview with IANS, Sarah Pierce, director of social policy at think tank Third Way, argued that Greene’s attempt to eliminate the entire visa program is “dishonest and dangerous” and would threaten the US economy and threaten critical industries.
What is in the bill?
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday and reiterated her plans to introduce a “ban on H1B visas in all sectors” legislation, leaving the medical profession as an exception.
In a video post Thursday, Greene announced her bill, which would dramatically reduce the annual H-1B cap from the current 85,000 to just 10,000 visas for medical professionals, a number Pierce pointed out is not enough and could lead to more “preventable deaths.”
Greene said the reduction could be phased out over the next decade. Her proposed bill would also remove a path to citizenship for H-1B visa holders, effectively forcing them to return to their home countries once their visas expire.
What impact might the proposal have on the US?
Specifically, Pierce highlighted the serious impact of the H-1B visa ban, particularly on health care, saying that “restricting the flow of foreign workers, including doctors, that her own communities rely on would make access to care impossible overnight.”
Speaking of the cap on the number of visas granted to medical professionals to enter the United States, Pierce noted that the H-1B program currently brings in far more medical professionals than Greene’s arbitrary cap of 10,000 visas would allow. “This bill would leave American families, especially in rural areas, with fewer doctors, longer wait times and more preventable deaths. It’s cruelty disguised as policy,” she added.
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Eliminating the program or drowning it in punitive fees would “derail the U.S. economy” and threaten the sectors Americans rely on the most, according to an immigration expert.
Trump is changing his stance on H-1B visas
The proposal has led to mixed opinions within the Republican Party, especially since US President Donald Trump recently defended the need for a visa program for foreign workers. However, some top Republican and conservative leaders have called for gutting the H-1B visa program.
In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, Trump was asked if his administration plans to deprioritize the H-1B visa. He argued that the US needed to “bring in talent”. When Ingraham countered, “We have a lot of talent,” Trump replied, “No, you don’t.”
“You don’t have a certain talent… And people have to learn, you can’t take people out of unemployment and say, I’m going to put you in a factory. We’re going to make rockets,” he added.
Trump’s stance on the visa program has changed since he imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas just two months ago, a move that stunned and confused employers, students and workers.
What did the White House say about the bill?
The White House clarified Wednesday that it remains committed to cracking down on alleged abuses of the visa system, but has no plans to scrap the entire program. In line with that plan, the US Department of Labor (DOL) opened at least 175 investigations last week to look into potential abuse of the H-1B visa program.
Pierce emphasized that instead of “scapegoating” the program, the US Congress should take the lead in reforming it.
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“Congress should do the hard work: reform the program to truly serve American workers and families. Because the truth is simple — we need more doctors, more home care workers, and yes, more highly skilled technical talent if we want this country to function,” she said.
The Trump administration’s recent H-1B visa policy changes have already faced legal challenges, including two major lawsuits filed in court, one of which was filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest trade organization.
