Tanden, Haley Highlight Bias In H1B Debate, Stress Focus On US Workforce

 India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON DC – Neera Tanden, Director of the United States Domestic Policy Council, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, from across political lines, have recently made statements aligning on the issue of immigration and the treatment of Indian Americans, underscoring growing concerns about bias in the ongoing debate.

Tanden, a Democrat, highlighted the discrepancy in how Indian Americans are perceived, particularly in relation to the political parties. She wrote, “I am an Indian American who was born here, and it’s crystal clear that the Democratic Party sees me as American and a large part of the base of the Republican Party does not. I hope Indian Americans remember this moment at the next election. They don’t see you as one of them. And never will. You thought they just hated other immigrants. But it turns out there’s no exception for you. As many of us have been telling you.”

In a similar vein, Haley, a Republican, emphasized the need to focus on strengthening the American workforce by investing in education and training, particularly for American citizens. Reflecting on her tenure as Governor of South Carolina, she pointed out that the state’s unemployment rate dropped from 11% to 4% through the recruitment of foreign companies that invested in local talent. “If the tech industry needs workers, invest in our education system. Invest in our American workforce. We must invest in Americans first before looking elsewhere. Don’t ever underestimate the talent of Americans or the American spirit,” Haley stated.

The debate over immigration has been further fueled by Donald Trump’s appointment of Sriram Krishnan as a White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence. Krishnan has supported removing per-country caps for green cards, a stance that has sparked mixed reactions. Some Trump supporters see it as a way to fill critical gaps in the tech workforce, while others view it as contradictory to the administration’s broader immigration goals.

Elon Musk also contributed to the discourse, emphasizing the role of immigrants in shaping America’s technological landscape. He posted on X, “We named ‘Tesla’ after Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest engineers ever. He was a penniless immigrant whose inventions led to American dominance in electricity generation and usage.”

While President-elect Trump has focused on cracking down on illegal immigration at the southern border, the ongoing debate about legal immigration has exposed deeper, sometimes racist, anti-immigrant fault lines. Indian workers made up 72% of H-1B recipients in fiscal year 2023. (with input from news agencies)

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