Institute for Sound Public Policy Newsletter - The Tide is Turning

Dear {name}:

This week, Ken Paxton, a candidate endorsed by President Trump, won his Texas Senate GOP primary against incumbent John Cornyn. Cornyn was a dogged apologist for and promoter of the H-1B visa, the expansion of foreign labor programs, and a real thorn in the side of anyone wanting to end or even reform these programs. By contrast, earlier this year, Paxton stated in his capacity as state attorney general, "I will not allow the H-1B program to be abused by bad actors seeking to use it as a loophole for allowing foreign nationals to invade Texas."

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who typically draws righteous criticism from immigration restrictionists for supporting pro-H-1B visa bills such as the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act and serially voting against E-Verify, was turned out of office by Trump-endorsed primary challenger Ed Gallrein. Although Gallrein has not voiced an opinion on employment visas, it is hoped his sentiments on illegal immigration will be extended to legal immigration as well. If not, there is always another primary just down the road.

Cornyn's defeat reflects growing Republican frustration with politicians perceived as prioritizing tech industry and Chamber of Commerce demands for foreign labor over the wages and job opportunities of American graduates. Recently, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) stated in a Breitbart piece that citizens can win curbs on the H-1B program if they swamp legislators with visits, calls, and statements. And he is not alone in Congress or the Senate. The GOP's evolving posture on H-1B visas marks one of the most significant ideological shifts inside the party since the Trump movement reshaped Republican immigration politics during his first term.

Anti-H-1B sentiment is no longer confined to conservative activists; it is becoming a defining issue for Republican voters demanding a tighter labor market and higher wages for Americans. The campaign we started back in 2018, when we created U.S. Tech Workers, is now a bona fide grassroots movement.

I’d say that is progress.

Onward,

Kevin Lynn

Executive Director, Institute for Sound Public Policy

Founder, U.S. Tech Workers

Substack

You Don't Need 40,000 Acres in a Desert:
The Case for Smarter Data Centers

by Kevin Lynn

Why, Tucker Carlson asked, should Utah taxpayers subsidize a private facility whose tenants include some of the richest corporations in the world? How is it capitalism when three county commissioners — not the people of Utah — approve a project twice the size of Manhattan?

Art is the Lie that Helps Us to Realize the Truth

by Steven Lamb

In the last couple of weeks people supporting insurgent candidate for the office of Los Angeles Mayor, and fellow fire victim of fistfulls of failed governmental policies, Spencer Pratt, have released half a dozen AI created videos. These creations are beyond political advocacy. These videos are art, and they do tell us truths we have long wanted to hide from ourselves, as if we could make these truths vanish by not looking at or dealing with them directly.

News You Can Use

Vowing to Abolish the H-1B Program, Mayes Middleton Wins Texas AG Runoff

Republican state Senator Mayes Middleton, who has called for abolishing the H-1B visa program, defeated Representative Chip Roy in the Texas attorney general primary runoff on Tuesday, securing the GOP nomination.

Green Card Seekers Must Leave U.S. to Apply, Trump Admin Says

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that oversees the legal immigration system, said it would grant green cards to people inside the country only in “extraordinary circumstances.”

DHS’s Crackdown on OPT Fraud Will Not Fix the Program’s Biggest Problems

Addressing fraud within the OPT program is important, but fraud prevention alone does not resolve the program’s policy and legal deficiencies.

USCIS Says H-1B Visa Workers May Not Have to Leave US to Apply

The clarification follows a sweeping policy memo issued on Friday, which significantly narrows the conditions under which foreign nationals residing in the United States can transition to permanent residency without departing the country.

Mentions

Exposed: The secret Indian networks replacing American workers

In this GB News documentary, Steven Edginton travels to Silicon Valley to investigate the rise of the H-1B visa system — and the growing dominance of foreign workers in America’s most important industry.

H-1B Visa Surge Displaces American Tech Workers as Foreign-Born Talent Dominates Silicon Valley

Two-thirds of Silicon Valley’s nearly 400,000 tech jobs are held by foreign-born workers.

Labor Department Makes Critical Mistake With Immigration Rule

Layoffs of white-collar/professional workers have swept through the tech sector, while major corporations keep insisting they face severe labor shortages requiring ever expanding access to the H-1B visa program.

How the H-1B visa replaces American workers

Cheaper labor and a captive workforce incentivize companies to hire foreigners over qualified Americans.

Trump administration closes in-country green card shortcut, tells millions of migrants to apply from home

The change targets "Adjustment of Status," a process allowing migrants already inside the U.S. to convert temporary or uncertain legal standing into permanent residency without ever boarding a plane.

Indians dominate IT via lower costs and ethnic favoritism

Two-thirds of Silicon Valley tech jobs are held by foreign-born workers. This transformation extends to the C-suites. Major companies are now led by foreign-born executives.

Interested in how H-1B and OPT programs affect American jobs, wages, and local communities? On June 15, we’re hosting a workshop in D.C. for congressional staff, immigration policy staff, labor advocates, think tank researchers, and others seeking detailed state-level data and policy solutions.

Interactive presentations + small-group data sessions. We’ve already reached 50% capacity — register now before seats fill up: 

https://luma.com/kakjmxni

Support Our Ongoing Fundraising Efforts

We invite you to support our fundraising. Monied interests that want to see a constant revolving door of cheap foreign labor, as well as the interests that support mass immigration that will serve them at the ballot box, don't support the work we do. For this reason, we rely on your generous support.

If half the people who follow us on social media were to choose to donate the equivalent of a cup of coffee a week, it would result in policies beneficial to workers making their way into legislation, rather than the schemes of the global elites. Please click on the link below, watch the video, and donate.

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