The Trump administration’s latest crackdown on H-1B visas is drawing sharp criticism from immigration experts. Sarah Pierce, director of social policy at the think tank Third Way, calls the moves a “shockingly anti-business stance” that could push away top global talent.
In an exclusive interview, Pierce warns that these policies make the United States less appealing for international students and skilled foreign workers. “Everything the Trump administration is doing is causing foreign talent to leave,” she says. “They’re attacking international students and making the U.S. unattractive to both students and workers.”
Pierce points out how this hurts everyday Americans too. U.S. universities rely heavily on tuition from international students, who often pay full price plus extra fees. That money funds scholarships for U.S. citizens, so targeting these students could dry up resources for domestic education.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled a proposal to overhaul the H-1B visa process. It would ditch the current lottery system for a “weighted selection process” that prioritizes higher-skilled workers. This follows President Donald Trump’s recent proclamation, which slaps a whopping $100,000 fee on each new H-1B application.
As a former policy analyst at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Pierce predicts these changes will face swift court battles. “The $100,000 fee is just shocking,” she says. “It’s absurdly high for a program that’s vital to many U.S. employers, and I’m sure it’ll get challenged in court.”
Trump defended the proclamation at the White House, saying it creates “incentive to hire American workers.” A White House spokesperson echoed that, telling reporters the policy puts American workers first. “It discourages companies from spamming the system and driving down wages,” said Taylor Rogers. “This gives certainty to businesses that truly need high-skilled immigrants but get hurt by system abuses.”
Pierce agrees the H-1B program has real issues, like companies using it to replace U.S. workers. But she argues the administration is overreacting. “We don’t need to burn this program down,” she says. “They’re using a chainsaw when a scalpel would do. There are smarter ways to fix abuses without killing the benefits.”
She highlights a recent example: the deportation of South Korean workers from a Hyundai factory in Georgia. This clashes with Trump’s push to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. through tariffs. “If we keep blocking high-skilled immigrants, it harms companies eyeing U.S. operations,” Pierce explains.
Tech giants and other big businesses have stayed mostly quiet on the H-1B visa restrictions. Pierce blames fear of backlash from the administration. “Corporations are scared right now,” she says. “We’re in a tense moment in American politics, and that’s why we’re not hearing much pushback from businesses on these immigration changes.”
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