On Thursday, Donald Trump presented the country\u2019s highest honors for science and technology at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. He called the billionaires being honored \u201cnational treasures.\u201d Just a few hours earlier, his vice president, JD Vance, had gone before the cameras and torn into the same industry, calling foreign skilled workers \u201cindentured servants.\u201d 5 of the 6 people honored are immigrants. The only one born in the United States is Michael Dell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the ceremony for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had even begun, Vance stepped in front of the press and announced that the company would be kicked out of a program that allows companies to apply for Green Cards for foreign skilled workers on H-1B visas. Microsoft had abused the visa system. \u201cOur message to Microsoft is: You are a great American company, but you need to hire great American workers,\u201d he said. You cannot first lay off American employees and then replace them with \u201cforeign indentured servants.\u201d The company had laid off 6,000 Americans the previous year while securing 6,300 H-1B visas at the same time. According to Vance, that was in addition to nearly 3,000 Green Cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n