Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., voiced strong criticism of the H-1B visa program during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, arguing that it is being “abused” to the detriment of American workers.

Schmitt’s comments come amid a broader debate on immigration and employment, sparked by recent proposals from tech mogul Elon Musk and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to expand high-skill immigration.

Speaking with host Shannon Bream, Schmitt highlighted the challenges faced by American workers in the current economy, particularly those impacted by outsourcing and wage competition.

“I think there's an important, thoughtful debate that's happening. But the context that we need to, I think, keep in mind here is that American workers have been left behind by this economy. Many factory jobs have been sent overseas,” Schmitt said.

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He also criticized the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields, stating that it has negatively affected workers who transitioned from manufacturing to white-collar jobs.

“I think the abuses of the H-1B program have been evident, where you have sort of the sons and daughters of those factory workers who lost their jobs, got white-collar jobs as accountants, and they're, you know, training their replacements, the foreign workers who are undercutting their wages,” Schmitt continued.

Schmitt suggested that reforms outlined by former President Donald Trump could address these issues, making the visa system merit-based and closing loopholes that allow companies to exploit the program.

“So I think the solution here President Trump has actually articulated in 2020 is to reform that system and, you know, get rid of the abuses, make it merit-based and make sure that we're not undercutting wages and having, you know, Americans train their foreign replacements,” he added.

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The senator also called for greater investment in American workers and defended Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration.

“The idea of deporting people who are here illegally is not a new concept. In fact, the policy in the law of the United States of America, since, you know, for 200 years, is if you come here illegally, you are detained. If you don't have a valid reason, like asylum. And by the way, nine out of ten asylum claims are bogus. Then you are deported,” Schmitt explained.

Schmitt argued that the refusal to enforce existing immigration laws has only emerged in recent years, pointing to Democrats in control of the federal government as responsible for the shift.

“It has only been in the last four years that Democrats in control of the federal government have refused to enforce existing laws,” he said.

The remarks come in the wake of proposals from Musk and Ramaswamy to increase immigration visas for high-skill workers, a move that has sparked debate among conservatives.

Last week, Ramaswamy claimed on social media that American culture has “glorified mediocrity” and suggested that importing skilled labor from abroad is the solution.

Trump, who restricted access to foreign worker visas during his first administration, has previously criticized the H-1B visa program, asserting that it undermines American workers by creating unfair competition for jobs.

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