US President Donald Trump’s sweeping order to impose a USD 100,000 (over Rs 88 lakh) on the H1-B programme has been widely criticised by several renowned figures from both India and the US, saying the move is discriminatory and will severely impact the American economy.
In a long post on X, David J Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at Cato Institute, said while Indians, who constitute a majority of the H1-B holders, contributed significantly to the US, they have been given a “discriminatory treatment” at every stage of the legal immigration process.
“Indian H1-Bs contributed an unfathomable amount to America: 100s of billions in taxes, 10s of billions more in fees, trillions in services. Among the most peaceful, intelligent, interesting people to grace our shores. And what do we give back? Demonisation and discrimination,” he said.
“We have a set of laws mandating discriminatory treatment at every stage of the legal immigration process, particularly for Indians. They’ve been barred from adjusting to permanent residence for decades based on nothing more than their birthplace,” he said.
Lashing out at Trump, Bier said Trump’s order “villainised the population” as “job thieves, prosperity burglars, legal system cheats and security threats”. He said the H1-B workers, who are the most “law-abiding” and “hardworking” people across the US were facing discrimination under law.
“The result is that these people are subject to a unique set of discriminatory policies that mandate their employers advertise THEIR jobs to others, require them to pay expensive fees and lawyers, prohibit easily changing job sites or job duties. It is unimaginable,” he said.
“Now Trump comes along and signs an executive order that officially villainises this population, as job thieves, prosperity burglars, legal system cheats, security threats. Possibly the most law-abiding, hard-working, peaceful, productive population in all of US history!” he further said.
Radhika Gupta, the CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, said the Indian H1-B visa holders built fulfilling lives and said Trump’s move had given an opportunity for students and IT professionals as a chance to return home and build their futures there.
Recalling her college days in the US, Gupta wrote, “I was fortunate to graduate in 2005, when H-1B norms were far more favourable in the US. But things changed quickly in 2008 during the financial crisis — many Indian students felt upset, lost and stuck.”
“Some eventually returned home, and years later, even those of us who still had the visa made the same choice. Today, we’ve built fulfilling lives here — with tremendous professional opportunities and the deeper joy of creating in our own country. Personally, I wouldn’t want to go back — at all,” she added.
“So, if you’re on a US campus right now feeling shaken or disheartened, I know what that feels like. But remember: when one door closes, many others open back home. And India of 2025 is a far more exciting place than India of 2005 ever was. Chin up. Aao, ab laut chalen (Let’s go back home)!,” Gupta wrote further.
Indian-origin Democratic Representative Suhas Subramanyam blasted Trump’s H1-B visa move and called it an “economic sabotage”.
“@POTUS latest move is a direct attack on our economy: a USD 100,000 fee on all H-1B visas, effective tomorrow (Sunday). Companies are warning visa holders not to leave the US. Those outside the country have 24 hours to return or risk being denied. This isn’t immigration policy. This is economic sabotage,” he said.
Actor-comedian Vir Das too shared his thoughts about the H1-B programme overhaul.
“You’d be pretty heartless to not empathise with H1b holders right now. Kids in school, mortgages, loans, sending money home. to live under the stress of having it all taken away on a whim. There’s no way to plan around or for something like this,” he said.
Dr Michelle Au, a Chinese American physician, said Trump’s H1-B crackdown will decimate the healthcare sector of the country.
“Yes this hurts tech, but a USD 100,000 fee for H1-B visas will decimate US healthcare. 1 in 4 medical residents + physicians are international med grads. Often they match into unfilled residency slots and work in underserved communities, e.g. rural GA,” she wrote.
Former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said Trump’s order to make sweeping changes to the H-1B programme was America’s loss and India’s gain. He stressed that the USD 100,000 H1-B fee will choke US innovation and turbocharge India’s.
“By slamming the door on global talent, America pushes the next wave of labs, patents innovation and startups to Bangalore and Hyderabad, Pune and Gurgaon. India’s finest doctors, engineers, scientists, innovators have an opportunity to contribute to India’s growth and progress towards Viksit Bharat,” he tweeted.
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