A fight erupted on social media in late December pitting allies of President-elect Donald Trump against one another on the topic of visas for highly skilled immigrants. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer denounced the H-1B visa program that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers with certain skill sets. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon called it a "scam." On the other side, billionaire Elon Musk, a former H-1B visa holder whose companies employ such visa holders, called for the program’s reform but defended it as an important talent recruitment mechanism. Days later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., disputed Musk in a statement, saying corporations abuse the program as a way to get richer and should recruit American workers first: "If this program is really supposed to be about importing workers with highly advanced degrees in science and technology, why are H-1B guest workers being employed as dog trainers, massage therapists, cooks, and English teachers? Can we really not find English teachers in America?" We examined Sanders’ statement about the types of workers who obtain H-1B visas. Employers can — and have — sought foreign workers as dog trainers and massage therapists. But Sanders is plucking out very rare situations (teachers are more common as some school districts face shortages of qualified educators). The majority of people with H-1B visas have jobs in the tech industry, not the jobs Sanders cited. Sanders' statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.
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