Expert: "Too Early to See" Where MAGA Lands on Immigration

Don Lee, Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 31, 2024

"Support for retaining H-1B from Elon Musk, the incoming president’s new closest associate, has stirred rage through much of Trump’s MAGA base, which is against immigration in almost any form. But keeping the pipeline open for tech and other skilled workers is seen by many business leaders as critical for the American economy, especially in California. ... Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration expert at Cornell Law School, said that despite the deficiencies in H-1B, he believes that “most employers try to follow the rules. At the macro-level H-1B workers are helping our economy and creating more jobs for U.S. workers.” Entrepreneurs, in particular, have talked about skilled worker visas as being critical for their growth. Yale-Loehr also noted that recent changes have given U.S. immigration officials greater authority to tighten up the H-1B program, including imposing penalties and inspections. That could strengthen enforcement and cut down on abuses, if Trump actually follows through on his supportive remarks. “It’s too early to see. You’ve got some people in the administration like Elon Musk who want to preserve the H-1B category and other people like Stephen Miller who want to restrict all immigration, including H-1B,” Yale-Loehr said. “We’ll see which side wins over the four years of the Trump administration.” "