Influential American figures took to the streets of Texas to expose H-1B abuses on camera.
While other influential people in Texas are coming out to crack down on Indians suspected of abusing their visas while working in stores, immigration policy expert Rosemary Jenks said the accusation is misplaced because all the hate is focused on the people who live there, and Congress, which allowed H-1B visas to be a pathway to residency, is to blame. Jenks said on Steve Bannon’s show that the H-1B visa was originally a three-year visa for specialty workers, but Congress decided that H-1B visa holders should stay indefinitely and bring their families with them if they can find a company willing to sponsor them. “So these people have been here on H-1B visas for decades. It’s ridiculous. Temporary visas are supposed to be temporary. They’re supposed to leave after three years. If we do that, and they can’t bring their family to the United States, they become much less attractive to employers. Because employers have to train new H-1Bs every three years, it’s much cheaper to hire Americans,” said Jenks, who blamed the policy on fraud in the program and an overabundance of H-1Bs.She also pointed out how most H-1B and F-1 student visa holders in the United States begin their journey and then enter the system through Optional Practical Training (OPT), STEM OPT extension, and then the H-1B visa program. “Yes, we absolutely should abolish the H-1B visa program, but if the donor class won’t allow Congress to do that, the least we can do is make it a temporary visa again,” Jenks said.
The rise of anti-H-1B influencers in Texas
The past few months have seen an increase in the number of anti-H-1B influencers in Texas who have produced videos opposing the “Indian takeover” of Texas and Frisco. Journalist Sara Gonzales claimed to have busted “ghost” offices listed as H-1B employers, but found nothing when she visited. She also visited a food truck and found an H-1B visa holder working there, although the man claimed he was just helping out in his wife’s food truck after working in the office. Now, YouTuber Tyler Oliveira has created a detailed video about the “Texas Indian Invasion,” in which he interviews Texas Indians and accuses them of fraud. Oliveira interviewed diplomat Mahvas Siddiqui, who previously claimed to have witnessed H-1B fraud in India, and lawyer Chand Parvathaneni for his YouTube video.
