Immigration expert criticizes bill to ban H-1B visas and limit medics, says it could lead to more ‘preventable deaths’

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's plan to introduce a bill that would ban H-1B visas has sparked a fierce debate, with a leading immigration expert calling the proposal “one of the most efficient way to hurt Americans,” and warning that it could lead to more “preventable deaths.”In an interview with IANS, Sarah Pierce, the Director of Social Policy at Third Way, a think tank, argued that Greene's attempt to eliminate the entire visa programme is “both dishonest and dangerous,” that would threaten the US economy and jeopardize critical sectors.What is there in the proposed bill?Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, reiterating her plans to introduce a bill to “ban H1B visas in all sectors,” keeping the medical profession as an exception.In a video post on Thursday, Greene announced her bill proposal, that would dramatically reduce the annual H-1B cap from the current 85,000 to just 10,000 visas for medical professionals, a number Pierce stressed is not enough and could lead to more “preventable deaths.”Greene said that reductions could be gradually phased out over the next decade. Her proposed bill would also take away the pathway to citizenship for H-1B visa holders, effectively forcing them to return to their home countries once their visa expires.What might be the proposal's impact on the US?Pierce specifically highlighted the severe impact of banning H-1B visas, particularly on healthcare, stating that “slashing the flow of foreign workers, including the medical professionals her own communities rely on, would gut access to care overnight.”Speaking of the cap on how many visas will be granted to medical professionals to enter the United States, Pierce noted that H-1B programme currently brings in far more medical professionals than Greene's arbitrary 10,000-visa cap would allow. “This bill would leave US families, especially in rural areas, with fewer doctors, longer wait times, and more preventable deaths. It's cruelty disguised as policy,” she added.According to the immigration expert, eliminating the programme or drowning it in punitive fees would “kneecap the American economy,” as well as jeopardize the sectors that the Americans rely on most.Trump shifting stance on H-1B visasThe proposal has led to divided opinions within the Republican party, especially with US President Donald Trump recently defending the need for the foreign worker visa programme. Some leading Republican and conservative leaders, however, have demanded the gutting of the H-1B visa programme.In an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, Trump was asked if his administration planned to deprioritize H-1B visas. He argued that the US needs to “bring in talent.” When Ingraham countered, “We have plenty of talent,” Trump responded, “No you don't.”“You don't have certain talents….And people have to learn, you can't take people off an unemployment line and say, I'm going to put you into a factory. We're going to make missiles,” he added.Trump's stance on the visa programme has shifted, as just two months back, he slapped a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, a move that stunned and confused employers, students and workers.What did White House say about the bill?The White House clarified on Wednesday that it remains committed to cracking down on alleged abuses within the visa system, but is not planning to scrap the entire programme. Acting on that plan, the US Department of Labor (DOL) launched at least 175 investigations last week, to look into potential abuses within the H-1B visa programme.Pierce emphasized that instead of “scapegoating” the programme, US Congress should take the lead in reforming it.“Congress should do the hard work: reform the programme so it actually delivers for American workers and families. Because the truth is simple—we need more doctors, more home-care workers, and, yes, more high-skilled tech talent if we want this country to function," she said.The Trump administration's recent H-1B visa policy changes have already faced legal challenges, including two major lawsuits filed in courts, one of them by the US Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business organization.