new delhi, Aug 5
US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene gave a bold suggestion while replying to President Donald Trump’s latest social media in which he threatened to hike tariffs on Indian goods and services.
In his far-reaching proposal, a controversial lawmaker asked the President to instead stop issuing H1B work visas to Indians, who she says are “replacing American jobs”.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a prominent MAGA figure, has recently claimed that the Republican Party has “turned its back on ‘America First’, the working class, and everyday Americans.”
In a recent post on X, Marjorie Taylor Greene addressed the H-1B visa issue while also urging the Republican president to halt U.S. funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
She reiterated her belief that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict was triggered by former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as by what she refers to as “Neocon” ideology—a U.S. political stance advocating for the global promotion of democracy.
Her post also included a screenshot of Donald Trump’s Truth Social statement, in which he vowed to “substantially raise” tariffs on India in response to New Delhi’s “massive” purchases of Russian oil.
Just last week, Trump imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, along with an unspecified penalty over India’s continued imports from Russia.
What is an H1B visa and who gets it?
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields that require technical expertise, such as IT, engineering, finance, or medicine.
To qualify, the worker must have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field and a job offer from a U.S. employer, who must sponsor the visa. The visa is initially granted for three years and can be extended up to six years. Due to high demand, it is issued through an annual lottery system, with 65,000 regular slots and an additional 20,000 for those with advanced degrees from U.S. institutions.
Data over the years shows that Indian nationals make up 72% of all H1B visa holders, with Chinese citizens following at 12%.
India’s response on Trump’s tariffs threats
Hours back, India gave a strong response to Donald Trump’s threats to “substantially” raise tariffs on goods from India over its purchase of Russian oil.
India’s foreign ministry defended the country’s imports from Russia, saying they are a “necessity driven by global market conditions,” and criticized the nations pointing fingers at India, noting that many of them continue to trade with Russia despite lacking any compelling need to do so.
New Delhi reminded Washington that when it initially began importing Russian oil after the Ukraine war began, the U.S. had actually “encouraged” those imports.
It also pushed back against the European Union for singling out Indian refiners over their crude exports.
The government cited specific data to highlight the scale of trade between the EU and Russia.
