DeSantis slams tech giants for firing American workers: “Importing foreigners is terrible policy and a scam”
Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has renewed his sharp criticism of the H-1B visa program, describing it as a “total scam” in the wake of widespread layoffs in the tech industry. In a post shared on X on July 30, 2025, DeSantis expressed his frustration over what he sees as companies replacing American workers with foreign labor. “Importing foreigners while firing American workers is terrible policy and a scam,” he wrote, doubling down on earlier remarks where he condemned the practice.
DeSantis used recent actions by big tech companies to back up his concerns. In 2025, Microsoft, Intel, and Meta together let go of more than 100,000 workers. Microsoft has applied for more than 6,000 H-1B visas since 2024, even though it has slashed jobs. DeSantis thinks that the fact that there are still enormous layoffs and a reliance on foreign workers shows that the program is not being used correctly.
The H-1B visa system lets U.S. companies hire foreign workers for specialized jobs, typically in engineering and technology. Supporters say it helps fill jobs that don’t have enough qualified people in the U.S. But DeSantis and others say that the system is being used to save costs at the expense of American employment.
“A lot of these tech companies are laying off American workers and then importing H1B visas. I think that’s a TOTAL scam,” he said.
People have been arguing about the H-1B visa program for a long time. In 2015, Disney got a lot of criticism for making American workers at its Orlando resort train their replacements, who were brought in through the H-1B program. That event sparked political debate and came up again during the 2016 presidential contest. The issue has come back to the forefront now that there have been more IT layoffs.
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Vice President JD Vance has also spoken out, explicitly criticizing Microsoft for firing American workers while still asking for visas for foreign workers. Vance noted that these kinds of things “trouble” him and make him wonder about the jobs of U.S. workers. Microsoft said in response that most visa requests are for extensions for current personnel and are not directly related to the recent job cuts.
There has been more and more criticism of the H-1B program within the Republican Party. People are calling for changes to the visa system, or even its complete removal. The Trump administration has said it wants to alter the program by getting rid of the current lottery mechanism and replace it with a wage-based selection method that favors higher-paying jobs.
Tech executives like Elon Musk say the program is important for fixing the lack of skilled workers in the U.S., while opponents like DeSantis say it makes jobs less secure and hurts American workers. The H-1B program’s future is still a hot topic in the larger conversation about immigration and labor policy as the political battle heats up.
Importing foreigners while firing American workers is terrible policy and a scam… https://t.co/SAmrg6NwCy
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) July 30, 2025
