Donald Trump, President-elect of the United States, seems to agree with Elon Musk and other supporters in the technology industry in a debate about immigration visas that has brought various criticisms from his followers.
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Trump, in an interview with the New York Post this Saturday, praised the use of visas to allow entry of skilled foreign workers into the United States. The issue has become a point of contention among his conservative base.
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"I have always liked visas, I have always been in favor of visas. That's why we have them," Trump pointed out.
In fact, Trump criticized H-1B visas in the past, stating that they were "very bad" and "unfair" to American workers. During his first term as president, he championed a "Hire American" policy that modified the program to try to ensure that visas were granted to the highest-paid or most qualified applicants.
Despite Trump criticizing visas and trying to limit their use, he has also used visas in his businesses in the past, something he acknowledged in his Saturday interview.
"I have many H-1B visa workers in my properties. I have believed in the H-1B visa. I have used it many times. It's a great program," Trump told the newspaper.
Trump did not specify whether he would seek any changes in the number of visas granted or in their use once he takes office on January 20th.
Trump's strict immigration policies, focused mainly on immigrants in the country without authorization, were a cornerstone of his presidential campaign and a top priority for his supporters.
But in recent days, their coalition has become divided in a public debate that is taking place, largely online, regarding the hiring of foreign workers by the tech industry. Some far-right members of the Trump movement have accused Musk and others in the new pro-Trump faction within the tech world of promoting policies that do not align with Trump's "America first" vision.
Software engineers and others in the technology industry have used H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers and say they are a very useful tool for hiring workers for difficult-to-fill vacancies. But critics have pointed out that this works against the interests of American citizens who could fill those jobs, and some right-wingers have called for the program to be eliminated.