US Vice President JD Vance has ignited a fresh debate on American employment and immigration policies, publicly criticising major tech firms like Microsoft for laying off ‘American workers’. Vance alleged that these companies are laying off thousands of American workers while simultaneously seeking H-1B visas for employees from overseas.
Vance’s remarks, which were made at a bipartisan event co-hosted by the Hill and Valley Forum, quickly drew a sharp response from an Indian-origin tech investor who challenged the Vice President’s claims.
US VP Vance makes controversial claims
Vance expressed strong doubts about the notion that qualified workers cannot be found within the United States. “You see some big tech companies where they’ll lay off 9,000 workers, and then they’ll apply for a bunch of overseas visas. And I sort of wonder; that doesn’t totally make sense to me,” Vance stated.
He emphasised the Trump administration’s “Put America first” stance, reiterating the view that firing American workers while claiming a lack of domestic talent is concerning. Vance further added that such practices make him worried. “That displacement and that math worries me a bit. And what the president has said, he said very clearly: We want the very best and the brightest to make America their home. We want them to build great companies and so forth,” he said.
“But I don’t want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then to go and say, ‘We can’t find workers here in America.’ That’s a bulls**t story,” Vance added.
The US Vice President’s comments followed reports indicating that Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, had laid off 9,000 employees but had applied for over 6,000 H-1B visas since October.
Indian-origin tech investor challenges claims
However, Vance’s claims were quickly countered by an Indian-origin tech investor on the social media. The investor accused Vance of “misleading people,” clarifying that Microsoft’s H-1B visa applications were primarily for renewing visas for long-term employees already legally residing in the US and caught in green card backlogs. Microsoft wasn’t hiring new foreign workers. The investor further argued that allowing loyal, long-term employees to remain in their earned positions is not equivalent to “replacing Americans.”
“And here’s what JD won’t say: many of the 9,000 laid off were H‑1Bs too. They got no severance, no safety net, just a 60-day countdown to leave the country. If you care about fairness, fix the backlog. Don’t weaponise lies,” he added.
