Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump backs H-1B visas, aligning with Musk on immigration

“I’ve always liked the visas,” he said, siding with tech leaders against anti-immigration hard-liners.

December 28, 2024

5 min

Donald Trump and Elon Musk, seen Oct. 5 in Butler, Pennsylvania, recently have spoken favorably of the H-1B visa program. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threw his weight behind H-1B visas, taking the side of Elon Musk in the squabble among conservatives over the program that allows foreigners with technical skills to temporarily work in the United States.

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“I’ve always liked the visas. I have always been in favor of the visas,” Trump told the New York Post in a phone interview. He added: “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program.”

By Will Oremus

Will Oremus writes about the ideas, products and power struggles shaping the digital world for The Washington Post. Before joining The Post in 2021, he spent eight years as Slate's senior technology writer and two years as a senior writer for OneZero at Medium. @willoremus

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