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MAGA senator targets 20 states blocking H-1B crackdown
Sen. Eric Schmitt accuses Democratic-led states of misusing the visa program.
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Rwittika Chakraborty
- Wed, 17, Dec 2025
- 02:53 EST
- 20
Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt and representative image / X/@SenEricSchmitt and Pexels
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt has sharply criticized 20 Democratic-led states for attempting to block the Trump administration’s crackdown on the H-1B visa program, accusing them of misusing the system while opposing federal enforcement.
Schmitt took to social media platform X to argue that the states challenging the administration’s actions are doing so to preserve what he described as improper use of the visa program.
“20 Democrat states are suing the Trump Administration to block its H-1B visa crackdown,” Schmitt wrote. “These states claim they need H-1Bs to import ‘skilled foreign workers.’ But let’s take a look at how they’re actually using these visas.”
Schmitt singled out California, led by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, noting that Attorney General Rob Bonta has accused the administration of trying to “shut out the skilled workers America depends on.”
The Missouri senator countered that California has been home to what he described as some of the most serious abuses of the H-1B system. He cited Southern California Edison, where hundreds of U.S. technology workers were laid off and required to train H-1B replacements as a condition for receiving severance packages.
Schmitt also criticized Washington state, pointing to Microsoft’s recent layoffs while the company continued to apply for thousands of H-1B visas.
Turning to Minnesota, Schmitt claimed that major employers in the state have laid off hundreds of information technology workers and outsourced jobs to India. He also accused Oregon’s attorney general of using H-1B visas to fill internship positions.
Schmitt raised similar objections to Democratic-led states including New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut and Wisconsin, arguing that their legal challenge reflects political opposition rather than legitimate workforce needs.
The lawsuit by the 20 states seeks to block the Trump administration’s efforts to tighten oversight and enforcement of the H-1B program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.
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