‘Eliminated’: Florida Guv Ron DeSantis holds H-1B poll amid row over Palm Bay politician’s anti-India remark

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held an X poll and concluded that H-1B visa program should be eliminated.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who called H-1B visa program a scam in no uncertain terms, held a poll on the visa program that allows US tech companies to hire skilled people from foreign countries, and concluded that the majority want the program to be eliminated. The X poll came as the H-1B program is in the middle of a major row as President Donald Trump increased the visa fee to $100,000. The Florida Republican provided three options for H-1B: Eliminated, maintained but reformed and kept as is. The first option received 62.3 per cent vote, the second 31.4 per cent and the last around 6 per cent. The comment section of the poll received mixed reactions, with many supporting the idea of eliminating the visa program but many pointed out how the US will lose its edge if the H-1B talents are shown the door. But what’s clear is that the Florida Governor is completely against H-1B. Interestingly, DeSantis has been sent a letter urging him to take action against the Palm Bay councilman Chandler Langevin who said Indians do not care about America; they only care about earning money from the US and sending money to India. The city council voted for Langevin’s removal from the council for his racist remark but Langevin said he was only standing up for Americans. Langevin said he stands by his comments against illegal immigration but does not condemn the Indian-American community who are working for America. “There are certainly Americans that have Indian heritage but they are still Americans. That said they are a small percentage of all Indians and Americans of Indian descent in the country. There is a significant issue with illegal Indians, H1-b abuse, and even naturalized Indians that believe America is an economic zone to enrich Indians,” he said.