Billionaire Elon Musk is coming under fire from some right-wingers online over comments he made in support of H-1B visas, non-immigrant visas that allow employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers.
This visa program was established in 1991. Congress sets annual limits on the number of visas that will be issued. It's currently set at 65,000.
Companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM are among those that employ thousands of foreign workers with H-1B visas.
Musk's Tesla was one of the leading employers for foreign-born engineers and scientists in FY 2024, receiving 742 approved H-1B petitions—up from 328 in FY 2023 and 337 in FY 2022, according to Forbes.
Musk, who was born in South Africa, received an H-1B visa.
So while it might not be surprising that Musk is a fan of the visa program, his views diverge from many right-wingers, prompting online drama.
"The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low," Musk wrote on Wednesday. "Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win."
Pressed by one commenter about denying "real Americans that opportunity by bringing foreigners here," Musk countered that the user's "understanding of the situation is upside-down and backwards."
"OF COURSE my companies and I would prefer to hire Americans and we DO, as that is MUCH easier than going through the incredibly painful and slow work visa process," Musk said. "HOWEVER, there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America."
"This is not about handing out opportunities from some magical hat. You don’t get it," he continued. "This is blindingly obvious when looking at NBA teams, as the physical differences are so obvious to see. However, the MENTAL differences between humans are FAR bigger than the physical differences!!"
Musk's comments in support of hiring foreign workers quickly sparked backlash from conservatives. Much of the commentary included presumptions about the race of the foreign workers to which Musk referred.
"We don’t want or need to turn this country into India," reads one viral response to Musk's post.
"America is not your sports team. It’s my home," countered someone else.
"I used to have some faith in Elon, but after this post I’m done. The mask is off," slammed one right-wing account. "Elon supports erasing the cultural and ethnic identity of America to help grow his bank account. He’s parasitic and destructive."
"So why not try to get people from Europe?" replied another account. "Engineers here in northern Europe earn HALF of what US engineers do, yet you keep importing Indians instead."
The discourse around H-1B visas had been brewing online since entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan was picked to serve as a senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence in the incoming Trump administration, prompting a wave of racist backlash.
"Did any of yall vote for this Indian to run America?" swiped one critic on Tuesday.
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called the appointment "deeply disturbing," pointing to a post from Krishnan calling for country-based immigration caps to be gone.
In another post responding to Musk agreeing with Krishnan, Loomer blasted, "How does it make sense to keep importing infinite foreign wage slaves who will further plummet the pay for STEM jobs in the US?"
"Why would American students be motivated to work in STEM if billionaires just want to replace them with cheap foreign labor?" she added. "How is it America First to let Indians replace America’s top talent, which is what [Krishnan] says he wants to do."
Others are predicting the end of Musk's warm welcome by MAGA fans.
"Elon tanking all his goodwill overnight was not foreseen," said one.
"Doubling down and saying that if the US needs schools to compete we've already lost is the stupidest thing I've ever heard said by someone as rich as him," replied someone else, referencing Musk's take that opening a school to help increase the number of high-skilled Americans in STEM would not work because "if you need a school, you’ve lost already."
But not all conservative commentators are turning on Musk.
Malaysian-based influencer Ian Miles Cheong surmised that the pushback against Musk was being spurred by non-Americans.
"It’s genuinely hilarious how most of the people raging at me over my support of Elon Musk’s pro-skilled immigrant position aren’t Americans either," he wrote on Wednesday. "I checked some of their profiles. There is a psyop that’s going on right now to discredit Musk and weaken America."
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