Vance Warns US Companies Against Using Visa Programs to Replace American Workers
Washington — Vice President JD Vance has warned American corporations against exploiting employment visa programs to replace domestic workers with lower-paid foreign employees, saying the Trump administration will not tolerate practices that undermine job opportunities for U.S. citizens.
Speaking at a Republican campaign rally Monday in Hendersonville, North Carolina, Vance said the administration was committed to preventing companies from using immigration programs to cut labor costs at the expense of American workers.
“One of the things I’m proudest of is that we will never allow major corporations to abuse the visa programs and replace hard-working Americans in North Carolina with what amounts to indentured servitude,” Vance said.
His remarks come amid growing debate over employment-based immigration, particularly the H-1B visa program, which allows American companies to hire foreign professionals in specialized occupations.
Although Vance did not specifically mention H-1B visas or announce new restrictions on the program, his comments reflected the administration’s emphasis on preventing employers from using foreign labor to displace domestic workers or suppress wages.
“American jobs ought to go to American citizens, not to people who don’t have a legal right to be here,” Vance told supporters.
The H-1B program permits U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign nationals in specialized fields such as information technology, engineering, medicine and scientific research.
Workers participating in the program have legal authorization to work for sponsoring employers under established immigration rules.
Vance’s criticism centered on what he described as corporate misuse of employment visa programs rather than the legal status of foreign professionals currently working in the United States.
The vice president also defended the administration’s broader immigration enforcement policies, claiming that tougher restrictions had significantly reduced illegal border crossings and reversed migration trends.
He said the administration had achieved “net negative migration for the first time in 50 years,” attributing the shift to stronger immigration enforcement.
Vance also criticized previous U.S. trade and immigration policies, arguing that they had contributed to the decline of manufacturing employment in North Carolina and other industrial regions.
He linked the administration’s immigration agenda to its broader economic priorities, including protecting American jobs, strengthening domestic manufacturing and improving wages.
The comments came as Vance campaigned for Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The Hendersonville rally featured several Republican candidates, including U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, as the party sought to mobilize voters around immigration, employment and economic issues.
Vance’s remarks highlight the administration’s continued focus on employer practices involving foreign workers as employment-based immigration remains a prominent issue in the national political debate. (Source: IANS)
