H-1B visa row: Indian-origin Howard professor ignites debate with ‘average-grade labor’ remark

Ron Hira, an Indian-origin Howard professor, slams the H-1B visa program, suggesting many holders are average quality.

Ron Hira, Indian-origin professor at Howard University and a prominent critic of the H-1B visa program, has once again raised questions regarding the operation of this program in the US. In a post on X, Hira claimed that a considerable number of H-1B visa holders are of average quality and could be sourced domestically.

Indian-origin Howard professor called for reforms to prevent wage suppression and highlighted examples of companies misrepresenting job roles to exploit visa regulations.(Ron Hira/X)

Given that Indians constitute the largest proportion of H-1B visa holders, Hira's critique was sure to attract attention. As the son of Indian immigrants who came to the US in the 1950s, well before the establishment of the H-1B system, his perspective sparked further discussion.

‘H-1B must be radically reformed,’ says Howard professor

In a post on X, Hira mentioned that “A significant number of H-1B visa holders are average-grade labor that could be supplied domestically. Meanwhile, recent U.S. college students can’t find work in their field of study, and AI threatens to further disrupt the labor market. ”

During a Heritage Foundation event, Hira elaborated on his views about the shortcomings of the existing system for both foreign and American workers. He stressed that rather than displacing American workers, the focus should be on reorganizing labor laws to guarantee that the H-1B program does not lower wages, protects all workers, and successfully handles actual labor shortages.

In an online video, Hira demonstrated real-life instances of how companies reportedly take profit from legal gaps. He gave an example of Deloitte Consulting, a leading H-1B company, that accepted an application in 2023. “And here the employer, Deloitte Consulting, a top 10 H-1B employer, is claiming that a position in its own job title is senior consultant. That’s Deloitte Consulting describing the position. A senior consultant is actually an entry-level position when it comes to setting the prevailing wage for the H-1B worker,” he stated. “Is a senior consultant entry-level? Probably not,” Hira added.

Ron Hira's H1-B remarks spark online debate

Hira's remarks sparked considerable debate on the internet. “And what is the ethnicity of the speaker? Indian? Exactly,” one individual commented.

Another inquired, “Why are South Asian people being made the face of the immigration-restriction movement here? Surely you can find people from historically rooted American communities to share this message?”

A third participant remarked, “Yet the Heritage Foundation wants to destroy all of our public institutions and privatize everything, giving these greedy corporations even more power. They will continue to offshore jobs and hire foreign labor while telling us we’re too stupid for the good jobs.”

“Well, this looks like just another case of ‘H-1Bs against H-1B.’ Clearly these Indians don’t want more Indians to come,” one more chimed in.