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Ron Hira says H-1B holders are ‘average labor’
The Howard University professor says the visa program needs major reform to protect workers and wages.
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Pranavi Sharma - Sat, 22, Nov 2025
- 03:00 EST
- 11
Ron Hira, professor at Howard University. / Heritage Foundation
Indian-origin scholar Ron Hira said many Indian H-1B workers are doing work that could be performed by U.S. workers, arguing that the visa system is not functioning as intended. Hira, a professor at Howard University and longtime critic of the program, posted on X that a “significant number of H-1B visa holders are average-grade labor that could be supplied domestically.”
India remains the largest source of H-1B workers. Hira’s public remarks drew immediate scrutiny, in part because he is the son of Indian immigrants who arrived in the United States before the current visa system existed.
In another post, he wrote that “recent US college students can’t find work in their field of study, and AI threatens to further disrupt the labor market. H-1B must be radically reformed.”
A significant number of H-1B visa holders are average-grade labor that could be supplied domestically. Meanwhile, recent U.S. college students can’t find work in their field of study, and AI threatens to further disrupt the labor market. H-1B must be radically reformed.… pic.twitter.com/Q1na1CzLjp
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) November 20, 2025
Hira expanded on those points during a Heritage Foundation event, where he argued the visa rules fail both American and foreign workers. He said the system should be redesigned so it does not depress wages and is used only to address genuine labor shortages.
He pointed to a 2023 approved application from Deloitte Consulting. In the clip, Hira said the company labeled the role of senior consultant as entry level for wage purposes. “A senior consultant is actually an entry-level position when it comes to setting the prevailing wage for the H-1B worker,” he said. He then added, “Is a senior consultant entry-level? Probably not.”
He argued the program is often misunderstood. “It’s not an immigration issue but a labor issue,” he said earlier on X, adding that weaker worker protections are why “Silicon Valley loves it.”
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