President Donald Trump appears to be recalibrating his stance on one of his toughest immigration moves, stressing the value of H-1B visas for specialized workers just months after his administration erected new barriers designed to curb their use.
In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham released Sunday, Trump reiterated his long-held view that bringing in large numbers of foreign workers can suppress wages for Americans. But he also acknowledged that U.S. companies often can’t find certain high-skill talent at home.
“You don’t have certain talents, and people have to learn,” Trump said. He added that major investments can’t succeed without experienced workers already in place. “You can’t just say a country is coming in, going to invest $10 billion to build a plant and take people off an unemployment line who haven’t worked in five years and they’re going to start making their missiles. It doesn’t work that way.”
Back in September, the White House introduced a $100,000 one-time fee for H-1B visas, which are typically used to hire highly skilled workers, many in the tech industry. Critics warned the cost could squeeze startups and smaller firms. Y Combinator CEO Gary Tan said the change would “kneecap” smaller businesses that can’t absorb the fee. A 2020 National Bureau of Economic Research study found that startups relying more heavily on H-1B hires were more likely to reach an IPO or be acquired, and were also stronger on funding, patents, and broader innovation outcomes.
Government data show nearly 400,000 H-1B visas were approved in fiscal 2024—about twice the number approved in fiscal 2020. Prominent tech leaders, including Elon Musk, have long backed the program (though not the steep new fee), arguing it helps U.S. companies recruit top global talent.
When Trump signed the order creating the fee, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended it as a way to shift hiring toward Americans. He argued that the lottery-based system, which requires at least a bachelor’s degree, had led to an inefficient over-allocation of visas.
“If you’re going to train people, you’re going to train Americans,” Lutnick told reporters at the time. He said companies could still hire elite foreign specialists, but should be willing to pay heavily for that choice.
Economists have cautioned that the broader immigration push could tip the U.S. into negative net migration, shrinking the labor force and dampening consumer spending—both forces that can drag on GDP growth. A National Foundation for American Policy study last month estimated that Trump’s immigration agenda could reduce the U.S. workforce by roughly 15.7 million over the next decade and cut long-term GDP growth by about a third.
Trump on the Georgia Hyundai Plant ICE Raid
Trump also suggested to Ingraham that aggressive enforcement hasn’t always produced the intended results. The H-1B fee order came shortly after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—fresh off a $30 billion funding boost for arrests and deportations under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”—raided a Hyundai manufacturing facility in Georgia.
During the operation, ICE detained 475 workers, most reportedly from South Korea, where Hyundai is headquartered. Agents claimed the workers had overstayed visas or held permits that didn’t authorize manual labor.
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz later said the raid delayed the plant’s opening by two to three months. The company has announced a $26 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing this year.
In Sunday’s interview, Trump returned to concerns he raised after the raid: that sweeping enforcement could drive away workers needed for highly technical jobs. He noted that the South Korean employees had specialized expertise in producing batteries for Hyundai’s electric vehicles.
“Making batteries is very complicated. It’s not an easy thing. Very dangerous, a lot of explosions, a lot of problems,” Trump said. He described how Hyundai brought in hundreds of experienced workers during the early stages to build systems and train U.S. staff. “They wanted them to get out of the country. You’re going to need that, Laura.”
