James Fishback, a 2026 Florida candidate, has once again come down heavily on the H-1B visa program. Fishback has been critical of the foreign worker program. In December 2025, he vowed to ‘fire all H-1B workers’ in state agencies and cancel state contracts with companies that hire foreign workers instead of Americans.
Taking his campaign rhetoric further, in a recent tweet on X, Fishback acknowledged that H-1B is a federal — not a state — program, but shared at least two ways in which he can bring about a change as Governor.
“Yes, H-1B is a ‘federal program.” But that doesn’t mean a Governor can’t do anything about it. Here’s exactly what I’d do as Florida Governor to effectively end the H-1B scam and protect our workers, especially recent grads,” tweeted Fishback.
One of the ways that Fishback wants to deploy is to use state contracts as leverage. Fishback wrote on X — There are 100,000 companies in Florida that rely on state contracts. As Governor, I’d mandate that any company receiving a state contract cannot use H-1B labor in Florida. Simple choice: do you want access to the billions Florida spends on everything from software to construction, or do you want to keep firing qualified Floridians for cheaper foreign workers? You can’t have both. You can guess which choice companies like Amazon, Accenture, and FedEx will make.
Although it is possible, in reality, it can face significant court challenges under federal prerogative over immigration.
The other step Fishback wants to take is to ‘fine H-1Bs into oblivion’. Fishback writes – President Trump supports a $100,000 fine per H-1B worker imported. I’d double that in Florida and make it annual.”
According to Fishback, the H-1B program is not being used to hire the world’s “best and brightest scientists and engineers.” He points out that 72% of H-1B visas go to entry-level positions. He argues that companies are importing cheap foreign labor from India for jobs like accounting, IT tech support, and financial analysis.
As an example, he notes that there are 7-Eleven locations in Florida that have imported H-1B workers from India, while Americans are desperate for work and relying on taxpayer-funded welfare to survive.
Congress created the H-1B program in 1990 under the Immigration Act. I wish Congress would end it, but I’m not holding my breath.
As Governor, I’ll never throw in the towel because something is a “federal issue.” I’ll use state contracts and annual fines to compel companies to ditch the H-1B scam and hire American workers again so they can earn a living, get married, start a family, and buy a home, Fishback adds.
Disclaimer: This article presents statements and campaign positions attributed to James Fishback, a 2026 Florida candidate. The views expressed are solely those of the candidate and do not represent the editorial position of this publication. Some claims made by the candidate have not been independently verified. Readers are encouraged to consult multiple sources for a comprehensive understanding of H-1B visa policy and its economic impact.