The recent feud within the Trump sphere over the H-1B visa program exposes deep fissures within US conservatism, revealing a cynical manipulation of working-class anxieties for political gain. The conflict pits Silicon Valley elites, advocating for a talent-based immigration system, against staunch Trump loyalists who frame immigration as a threat to American workers. Both sides employ misleading rhetoric and conveniently ignore the underlying exploitation of labor at the heart of the issue.
Laura Loomer’s condemnation of Sriram Krishnan’s appointment as a policy advisor, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s subsequent critique of “American culture,” ignited the controversy. Ramaswamy’s assertion that American culture prioritizes mediocrity over excellence, thus necessitating the import of foreign engineers, sparked outrage among anti-immigration activists. This prompted a wave of racist backlash, highlighting the hypocrisy of those who simultaneously decry racism while promoting racist tropes.
Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of the H-1B scheme, defended the program and denounced the “hateful, unrepentant racists” within the Republican party. This stance is particularly ironic given Musk’s own history of promoting racist narratives, including the “great replacement theory,” a conspiracy theory suggesting elites are replacing white populations with immigrants. This hypocrisy renders their claims of racism against critics of the H-1B program deeply unconvincing.
The argument that opposition to the H-1B visa is solely about protecting American workers is equally disingenuous. While employer manipulation of the system and exploitation of both American and foreign workers are legitimate concerns, the primary focus of many critics is hostility toward immigration itself. The genuine concern for worker rights is largely absent; these critics rarely support policies that genuinely benefit the working class, such as strengthening unions, expanding social programs, or implementing progressive taxation. Their professed concern for workers serves primarily as a cover for anti-immigrant sentiment.
This pattern is not unique to the United States. In Britain, right-wing critics of immigration, who posture as champions of the working class, consistently fail to support working-class interests in other areas. They oppose trade union rights, advocate for labor market “flexibility,” and display hostility towards striking workers and those receiving benefits. This pattern reveals a cynical exploitation of working-class anxieties, using immigration as a convenient scapegoat to distract from broader systemic issues.
The H-1B debate, therefore, is not a clash between elites and the working class but rather a struggle between factions of the elite vying for dominance within US capitalism. The working class is merely a pawn, exploited and discarded as needed. The absence of a strong, organized labor voice in both the US and UK allows this manipulation to continue unabated. Until the working class asserts its collective power, this cynical use of their concerns will likely persist.