DeSantis picks a side in MAGA’s visa civil war: ‘We’ve got some big problems’
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Florida governor sided against Donald Trump and Elon Musk on the H-1B debate among MAGA allies. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken a side in the MAGA civil war over H-1B visas. The Republican lawmaker said there are “big” problems with the H-1B skilled workers visa program, which allows employers to temporarily employ foreign nationals in “specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability,” according to the Department of Labor.
![[Trump has so far backed Musk in his support of the visas]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/27/16/76bd09777eab4f45b3f7a8db5758c89c.jpg)
Those applying for the visa must have at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a specialty subject to qualify, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "We’ve got some big problems with some of the legal programs we have,” DeSantis said at a press conference Monday. “This H-1B program, the Americans train the H-1B then they fire the Americans and hire the H-1B. How would that even remotely be acceptable?".
![[Steve Bannon has upped the rhetoric against Musk telling him to ‘bring it’]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/28/16/SEI233417884.jpg)
DeSantis’s comments come after a contentious back-and-forth on the program among other members of the MAGA movement. Department of Government Efficiency co-chairs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have come out in support of the program. Ramaswamy has argued that the US does “not produce the best engineers,” while Musk claimed there is “a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent” in America.
However, other staunch allies of Donald Trump, including Laura Loomer and Steven Bannon, have fiercely spoken out against the program. Loomer slammed Musk for his support of the H-1B program before accusing the X owner of removing her blue checkmark on the platform in retaliation.
