‘Not that I want them, but...’ Why Trump now supports H-1B holders and foreign students

Washington: In a surprising shift in tone, United States President Donald Trump has defended both the H-1B visa programme and the role of foreign students in American universities, even as his administration continues to impose stricter immigration controls.

Speaking in a recent interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump insisted that the country still needs overseas talent to fill gaps in specific industries and that international students are vital for sustaining the US higher education system.

What did Trump say about the H-1B visa programme?

When asked if his administration planned to scale back the H-1B visa scheme, Trump firmly responded, “You do have to bring in talent.”

When Ingraham countered, saying, “We have plenty of talent,” Trump disagreed, replying, “No, you don’t.”

He continued, “You don’t have certain talents…. And people have to learn, you can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, I’m going to put you into a factory. We’re going to make missiles.”

Trump’s remarks came despite his administration’s continued efforts to tighten H-1B visa regulations. In September, he introduced a proclamation that imposed a steep application fee of 100,000 US dollars.

What is ‘Project Firewall’?

Following Trump’s directive, the US Department of Labor (DOL) launched at least 175 investigations into potential violations of the H-1B visa programme. The initiative, named Project Firewall, was rolled out in September as part of a broader government drive to address alleged misuse of the system.

The H-1B visa allows American companies to employ skilled foreign workers in specialised sectors such as information technology, engineering, and healthcare.

“The Department of Labor is using every resource at our disposal to put a stop to H-1B abuse and protect American jobs,” said DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer in a post on X.

State-level resistance to H-1B workers

The debate over foreign workers has also spread to the state level. In October, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the state’s Board of Governors to phase out the use of H-1B visas across state universities, arguing that positions held by visa holders should instead go to Florida residents.

Days later, the White House reaffirmed that Trump’s goal in reforming the H-1B programme was to prioritise American workers. Officials also pledged to continue fighting the lawsuits filed against the administration’s restrictions.

Two major legal challenges have since been brought against the government, including one by the US Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business association.

On 31 October, five US lawmakers sent a letter to Trump, urging him to reconsider his 19 September proclamation on H-1B visas, warning that it could have “potentially negative impacts” on the India-US relationship.

India-born professionals have long been the primary beneficiaries of the H-1B programme, receiving more than 70 percent of total approved visas in 2024, driven by high demand for skilled immigrants and processing backlogs.

What did Trump say about foreign students?

In what appears to be a major departure from his earlier stance, Trump also voiced support for allowing international students to pursue education in the United States. He described foreign students as “good” for business and essential to keeping America’s universities financially stable.

“You don’t want to cut half of the people, half of the students from all over the world that are coming into our country — destroy our entire university and college system — I don’t want to do that,” Trump told Fox News.

“I actually think it’s good to have outside countries. Look, I want to be able to get along with the world,” he added.

When asked specifically about reducing the number of students from China and other countries, Trump said such measures could damage the higher education system and force some institutions including historically Black colleges, to “go out of business.”

“We do have a lot of people coming in from China, we always have China and other countries. We also have a massive system of colleges and universities. And if we were to cut that in half, which perhaps makes some people happy, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business,” Trump said.

“We take in trillions of dollars from students. You know, the students pay more than double when they come in from most foreign countries. I want to see our school system thrive... It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business.”

Trump’s crackdown on student visas

Despite his latest comments, Trump’s administration has taken a hard line on foreign students since his return to office. Thousands of student visas have reportedly been revoked, and some students linked to pro-Palestinian protests have been detained.

The administration has also increased visa scrutiny for international applicants at major universities such as Harvard and Stanford.

Harvard University recently challenged the administration’s attempt to restrict the admission of foreign students, leading to a court ruling against the government, a decision now under appeal.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed US embassies around the world to halt student visa interviews. Though the process later resumed, applicants now face stricter background checks, including reviews of their social-media profiles.
(With Agency Inputs)