Immigration Expert Warns H-1B Visa Ban Could Harm US Families

Washington D.C.: A leading immigration expert has warned that Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s proposed bill to ban H-1B visas in most sectors could severely harm Americans, including causing preventable deaths due to reduced access to healthcare.

Greene, in a post on X on Friday, reiterated her plan to eliminate H-1B visas across all industries except the medical field. Her proposal includes reducing visas to just 10,000 annually, down from the current cap of 85,000, and phasing out even this exception over the next decade. The bill would also remove the pathway to citizenship for visa holders, forcing them to return to their home countries.

Sarah Pierce, Director of Social Policy at think tank Third Way, criticized the plan, saying it would “gut access to care overnight” by drastically reducing the number of foreign medical professionals who serve U.S. communities. She added, “The H-1B program currently brings in far more medical professionals than her arbitrary 10,000-visa cap allows. This bill would leave U.S. families, especially in rural areas, with fewer doctors, longer wait times, and more preventable deaths. It’s cruelty disguised as policy.”

While some U.S. workers in tech sectors have lost jobs due to H-1B visa allocations, Pierce stressed that eliminating the program entirely is “both dishonest and dangerous.” She argued that slashing visas or imposing punitive fees, like the $100,000 fee introduced in September, would cripple the American economy and critical industries that rely on skilled talent.

President Trump has defended the H-1B program, emphasizing its importance in bringing high-skilled workers into the country. In an interview with Fox News, he said, “You don’t have certain talents… you can’t take people off an unemployment line and put them into a factory. We need skilled workers to operate advanced technology and industries.”

The White House has clarified that its focus remains on cracking down on abuses within the visa system rather than scrapping it entirely. The Department of Labor recently launched at least 175 investigations into potential H-1B visa program abuses.

India-born workers received over 70% of approved H-1B visas in 2024, reflecting both a high backlog of applicants and the large number of skilled professionals from India contributing to U.S. industries.

Experts like Pierce urge Congress to reform the H-1B program responsibly to ensure it continues to benefit American families and businesses while addressing concerns about fairness and oversight.