You don't have certain talents': Trump defends H-1B visas as needed despite moves to raise costs

"Ingraham argued that visas would make it harder for Trump to achieve his goal of raising wages for US workers. You also do have to bring in talent, Trump countered. When Ingraham said the US already had plenty of talented people here, Trump responded no. You don't have certain talents. And you have to, people have to learn. You can't take people off, like an unemployment line, and say, I'm going to put you into a factory. We're going to make missiles,' he said."

"That policy change drew a lawsuit from the US Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the clash between corporate America and Trump's immigration crackdown. Trump in his second term has ramped up deportations of undocumented migrants, including through the deployment of troops to major cities to assist immigration officers, spurring worries about the impact on the labor supply for businesses. Employers have also become less eager to sponsor international students' work visas, targeting a pathway that saw many graduate from US universities and land positions with companies."

The U.S. position emphasizes the need for skilled foreign workers even as policies tighten access to H-1B visas. A $100,000 application fee was imposed on H-1B petitions widely used by major tech companies, prompting a lawsuit from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Enforcement steps in a second term have increased deportations and involved troop deployments to assist immigration officers, raising concerns about reduced labor supply for businesses. Employers have become less willing to sponsor international students' work visas, threatening a key pathway from U.S. graduate programs into industry. Strained ties with allies have complicated efforts to attract foreign companies.

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