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Florida Governor, challenger echo anti-H-1B stance
DeSantis and Fishback amplified hardline critiques of the H-1B visa, describing it as a pipeline for cheaper labor.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 02, Dec 2025
- 14:15 EST
- 11
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis/ Republican challenger James Fishback / Wikipedia/ X (James Fishback)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican challenger James Fishback sharpened their attacks on the H-1B visa program, positioning themselves as the most aggressive critics of foreign work visas in the 2026 governor’s race.
DeSantis renewed his demand to end the H-1B program in a series of posts on X, writing, “The H1B visa: end it, don’t mend it,” and sharing a policy interview circulated among conservative groups.
Also Read: Rep. Krishnamoorthi moves to double H-1B visa cap
He said the system no longer resembles what Congress authorized in 1990 and pointed to cases where U.S. workers were laid off and required to train H-1B replacements.
The critique aligned with a Heritage Foundation post he reshared, which argued the visa has become “a way to bring in masses of lower-paid workers to replace more experienced and expensive American employees.”
The H1B visa: end it, don’t mend it. https://t.co/ACfFSUmTEC
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 2, 2025
The governor also endorsed a nine-point thread by Hany Girgis, co-owner and chairman of the ed-tech firm Skillstorm, who described the “rise and fall” of the H-1B program.
Girgis traced the visa’s evolution from a narrow talent category in 1990 to a system weakened by corporate lobbying, expanded during the 2000s “tech shortage” era, and later dominated by outsourcing firms that “flooded the system.”
Good overview of the evolution of the H1B visa into a vehicle to replace American workers with cheap foreign labor… https://t.co/d4mygn5NMe
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 2, 2025
He said the visa became the backbone of offshore staffing in the 2010s and cited bipartisan reform efforts, Trump’s 2025 introduction of a $100,000 H-1B fee and recent DHS tightening.
DeSantis has already barred Florida’s state universities from hiring H-1B workers, arguing taxpayer-funded institutions should not rely on what he considers a distorted labor channel. His federal-level push comes as conservatives introduce broader restrictions on guest-worker systems.
There's no "American Dream" when H-1Bs can come here and steal our jobs and dignity. I'm running for Florida Governor to end the H-1B scam so our workers can get great-paying jobs again. https://t.co/zfqvjyDsCk
— James Fishback (@j_fishback) December 2, 2025
Fishback, 30, a former Doge architect, hedge fund founder and the CEO of the “free-thinking” investment firm Azoria, has entered the 2026 Florida governor’s race with an even harder line.
In repeated posts on X, he promised to “fire every H-1B working at a state agency and cancel state contracts with companies that employ H-1Bs instead of qualified Floridians.”
He also criticized Rep. Byron Donalds, calling him “H-1Byron” and accusing him of siding with corporate interests.
Fishback plans to run on an immigration-first and affordability platform. His proposals include requiring companies operating in Florida to replace H-1B visa employees with American workers, eliminating property taxes on homestead properties, and hiring a strategist from the DeSantis camp to guide his campaign.
In a Florida Voices interview, Fishback said state contractors would have 24 hours to choose between keeping their state contracts or retaining their H-1B staff.
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