As always, the Internet remains is in a warring state over the ever-so-divisive H-1B visa, which was introduced in the Unites States in 1990 to hire foreign workers in ‘specialty occupations.’ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has long dragged the nonimmigrant program as a “scam,” has expanded the definition of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown with his latest directive targeting the category.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directs universities to end H-1B visa use

While at a news conference at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa on Wednesday (US time), the Republican politician pushed state’s board of governors to get rid of H-1B sponsorships in state universities. “We need to make sure our citizens here in Florida are first in line for job opportunities,” he said. “And if there’s things that the universities need, that somehow, they just can’t find in Florida, to me, of all employers, they are the ones that would be most responsible for why they can’t find what they need.”

Taking to his official X account, he further reiterated the sentiment and targeted HR departments for hiring “foreign H-1B workers” over “qualified Floridians.” Declaring Florida’s leading stance as the top-most-ranked state in the country for higher education, he asserted, “we will not tolerate discrimination against American citizens in our university system.”

ALSO READ

He firmly established in a previous tweet: “Universities across the country are importing foreign workers on H-1B visas instead of hiring Americans who are qualified and available to do the job. We will not tolerate H-1B abuse in Florida institutions. That’s why I have directed the Florida Board of Governors to end this practice.”

DeSantis’ claims about Florida topping the list that addressed where states stood in terms of higher education most likely relied on the US News and World Report’s 2025 State Rankings. Therein, the Sunshine State has held onto the top spot for the past 9 years in a row.

H-1B visa holders in Florida

According to the Orlando Sentinel, nearly 400 foreign nationals on H-1B visas are currently employed at Florida state universities. Meanwhile, the USCIS’ official H-1B Employer Datahub indicates over 7,200 people hold the ‘specialty occupations’ visa across the state, with the University of Florida ranking at #5 on the list of “Beneficiaries Approved – by Top 100 Employers.”

Other top universities relying on the program for its workforce include the University of South Florida, with 72 employees, and Florida State University, with 69, as per the TampaBay Times.

Florida H-1B ‘ban’ reactions: What are netizens, officials saying

Welcoming DeSantis’ directive on H-1B visas, the University of Florida’s interim president, Donald Landry, said during the news conference, “Occasionally, some bright light might be good enough for the faculty, and then we will try and retain the person into whom we’ve invested so much. But that’s the exception that proves the rule.”

However, it remains unclear how the same would be enacted, especially since individual states don’t have the power to revoke federal visas. Moreover, USCIS is strictly against employees being fired on the basis of valid immigration status, as per the Guardian’s report.

Those who speak the same tongue as DeSantis on the H-1B issue were more than happy to see the development. Although the Florida Republican’s announcement follows US President Donald Trump signing a proclamation about the imposition of an addition $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, some even went as far as praising the governor more than the POTUS. Hailing him for doing what many other government officials didn’t have the guts to do, MAGA-leaning netizens lauded him for “leading the way.”

A popular account that goes by ‘Chief_Engineer’ on X wrote: “Legend- hard not to vote for this guy – President Trump, Marco Rubio, Luttnick – so many people that could do something to give Americans jobs and who is leading the way? Governor Ron DeSantis”

ALSO READ

Another user added, “”This is indeed huge. Foreigner should not be in taxpayer-funded universities, let alone overrunning them the way they are today. USF in Florida is a huge abuser of this and I think has the largest H1b enrollment in the state. Taxpayers fund these, so it should be for Floridians.”

Indians dominate the visa category, accounting for over 70% of the recipient in recent year, as per the BBC. And so, the most scathing attacks were directed towards those from the South Asian community. “”This is the best statement that can be made regarding colleges. Time for the Indian FRAUDS to all go home,” read one such comment.

Another said, “H1B Indians working at Florida State University systems are GETTING THE BOOT! So HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF TERMINATIONS? GET USED TO IT, CUZ MORE IS COMING TO INDIAN VISA WORKERS-ESPECIALLY IN FLORIDA. INDIAN GONNA GO!”

On the other side of X, users even rose up against DeSantis. A popular account called out the governor over his own Italian roots. Breaking down how the Florida governor ended up drawing up the H-1B visa plan, they wrote, “Be an Italian immigrant. Become Governor of Florida. Stop H1B. Americans forget that he’s an Italian.”

Several other called him out for targeting actually skilled and talented scholars with the nonimmigrant visa. A user wrote, “This is deranged. H-1B university workers are highly-trained scholars—many of whom studied in the U.S.—who drive major breakthroughs in specialized fields like biomedicine & tech. Republicans are sacrificing American dominance to own the libs. It’s crazy.”

Another chimed in, “Massive L, our universities should be brain draining the 0.01% stop smartest people worldwide and bringing them here.”

A third added, “”The best universities in the world should attract and retain the best talent in the world. If there is abuse in the program then eliminate the abuse. This is not the way.”

And then a fourth also tweeted, “These jobs are research jobs and the people doing them are some of the smartest and most contributing people to the country! There is no reasoning from this apart from pure resentment.”

Flipping the India-hate upside-down, a netizen even sardonically dragged the US for its hypocritical back-and-forth on the issue, saying, “We want all the Indian students to bring in billions of $s but we must make it impossible for them to get jobs.”