Latest news with #USDepartmentofHomelandSecurity
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
‘Great': Elon Musk on Trump admin's proposal to overhaul H1-B visa lottery system
The Donald Trump-led administration plans to overhaul the H1-B visa lottery system, replacing it with a more weighted and wage-linked selection process. The visa system has been a topic of debate between Trump and his supporters.(Bloomberg) According to a filing by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on July 17, the administration has proposed the introduction of a "weighted selection process" for the capped category of the system. The proposal has been submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Reacting to the development, Elon Musk gave a one-word response on social media platform X. 'Great,' the Tesla CEO said. Musk has in the past said that the H1B visa system is 'broken', while pledging that he would 'go to war on this issue'. 'I've been very clear that the program is broken and needs major reform,' Musk said last year. The visa system has been a topic of debate between Trump and his supporters. The US President's MAGA base has also opposed Musk's take on the immigration policy. The proposal by the DHS looks to prioritise some applicants on the basis of additional criteria. This could be wage-linked selection, which would favour highly-skilled professionals. However, the DHS has not provided details on the revamping of the programme. At present, 85,000 new H-1B visas are issued annually, including the 20,000 which are set aside for applicants who have a Master's degree or higher from an educational institution in the US, Business Today reported. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allocates visas through a random lottery system, which means that the applicants are on the same scale, despite their skills or compensation. Largely a majority of the beneficiaries of non-immigrant H1-B visa programme are Indians. 77 per cent of the approved visas from the 320,000 alloted ones belonged to Indians, India Today reported. In 2023 too, Indians made up for more than 70 per cent of the approved visas.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
DHS revisits wage-based selection for H-1B visas; proposal sent for White House review
The US Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) has advanced a proposed rule that would alter how H-1B visa petitions are selected, introducing a wage-based system instead of the current random lottery. The draft rule (RIN 1615-AD01) was submitted Thursday to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review, according to a report by Bloomberg H-1B visa program, widely used by the technology sector, allocates 85,000 new visas annually under a statutory cap. Of these, 20,000 are set aside for individuals with a US master's degree or higher. Institutions like universities and research centers are exempt from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) conducts a random selection from registered applicants. Selected employers then file petitions to sponsor workers. On Friday, USCIS announced that enough petitions were submitted to meet the H-1B quota for fiscal year 2026, confirming that a second lottery round will not be the Trump administration, DHS attempted to replace the random process with a system that prioritized petitions offering higher wages. The rule would have ranked applications by wage level across four tiers, promoting higher-paid positions in the selection proposal was part of the administration's 'Buy American, Hire American' strategy but was withdrawn in 2021 under President Joe Biden. More than 1,000 public comments were received on the earlier proposal, with critics warning that it would drastically cut the number of eligible foreign courts later blocked other regulatory attempts that aimed to raise minimum wages for H-1B roles and limit qualifying occupations. The new proposal signals DHS's renewed interest in aligning the visa selection process more closely with wage levels, pending regulatory approval.
Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Eswatini accepts five ‘uniquely barbaric' foreign criminals deported from US
The deportees, from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen, had criminal records which included convictions for murder, homicide and child rape. The Estwatini government has confirmed the arrival of US deportees with criminal records but insisted they posed no threat to the people of the country. US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the deportees, from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen, had criminal records which included convictions for murder, homicide and child rape. They were 'so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back', she added. Thabile Mdluli, the acting Eswatini government spokesperson, said that 'the government acknowledges the widespread concern' about the prisoners. 'Indeed, five inmates are currently housed in our correctional facilities in isolated units where people with similar offences are kept. The nation is assured that these inmates pose no threat to the country or its citizens.' She said the deportations followed months of engagement between Eswatini and the US, which would collaborate with the International Organization for Migration to return the five men to their countries of origin. She said Eswatini and the US had done 'rigorous risk assessments' to 'ensure the safety and security of citizens'. She added that Eswatini 'adheres to international agreements and diplomatic protocols regarding the repatriation of individuals, ensuring that due process and respect for human rights is followed'. Bheki Makhubu, who edits Eswatini's The Nation, told Daily Maverick he suspected that Eswatini had agreed to accept the convicts in exchange for avoiding US trade tariffs. He noted that the Trump administration had given Eswatini a complete pass on tariffs. 'Why would the US hit Lesotho with [50%] tariffs and leave us alone, unless they were negotiating with us to take their dangerous prisoners?' he asked. However, Makhubu also noted that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which gives Eswatini and other African nations duty-free access to the US market, was due to expire in September, 'so we don't know what Trump might do. But hey, we've been nice to him so perhaps he'll return the favour.' Asked to comment about Makhubu's belief that Eswatini had made a deal to avoid tariffs, Mdluli said, 'Unfortunately, the terms of the agreement remain classified information, so what people say remains just that — speculation.' CBS News reported in May that the US had asked Eswatini, Angola, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Moldova and Rwanda to accept migrants who are not their citizens. According to US and other media, the US programme is causing concern as the Trump administration appears to be asking countries regardless of their human rights records. In June, the US flew eight deportees to South Sudan after the US Supreme Court overturned a lower court ban on the grounds that the men had not been given an adequate opportunity to legally oppose their deportations. DM
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Trending: Dangerous Trump rejects heading our way
Donald Trump is dumping the worst of the worst in our neighbour. How long before these violent criminals, who neither the US or their countries of origin will allow, cross the border into South Africa? There is a fear that violent criminals – illegal immigrants in the US, which is now deporting them to eSwatini as they their home countries have refused to take them back – will cross over in Mzansi and join the ranks of criminals here at home: @Oriana_RSA Basically, the US is treating eSwatini as its dustbin for criminals? The worst part is that these criminals will obviously end up in South Africa. We're doomed @AdvFanele I work near the eSwatini border and a good 30%- 40% of our resources go towards eSwatini citizens, but we foot the bill by paying insane amounts in tax. While I'm an advocate of free healthcare for all, I think billing the countries of origin for the immigrants would lessen the burden on the locals. @_sethuzuma The US dropping off immigrants in eSwatini is frustrating, because they're most likely going to relocate to the nearest economic hub for opportunities. @motsohi_thabang South Africa must now decisively intervene to control wild and irresponsible decisions by this mad despot (King Mswati) in eSwatini. @_tume1o Not to be dramatic, but this is a security issue for SA. It doesn't look like there's any guarantee that they will remain in eSwatini. @Wealth98478302 So, should we allow lawlessness from Lesotho, Botswana or eSwatini just because we might be relatives?! @KennedyWandera_ 'These criminal illegal aliens are so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,' a US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson says. The Trump administration has also sent migrants to El Salvador and South Sudan. @Cecilia_Mthwane As a SADC region, we need an urgent meeting with eSwatini. They need to tell us if they are on Nyaope or something. Labantu badinga iNduku straight. @Sello_Libram eSwatini cannot stop its own citizens from crossing illegally into South Africa, but is now accepting illegal Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Muslims, etc that America is illegals are being sent to eSwatini so that they can later cross into SA. @mztvar As a citizen of eSwatini, this is one of the reasons why I will teach the younger generation to despise US foreign policy with every last drop of their blood. Why should a first world-state, with all the instruments to deal with crime, send hardcore criminals to a third-world state? @TheSituationZA WTF! So, eSwatini is a dump will be crossing over to SA. @Truthonothing While South Africans are caught up with 'mabahambe', a new issue is emerging – get ready to receive more illegal immigrants, courtesy of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, African media remains disturbingly silent. @SegopotjeNkadi3 eSwatini govt is so smart! They accepted violent foreign criminals from Cuba Somalia, Yemen, Venezuela, Vietnam so they can get financial aid from Trump but they won't host them for long – they will secretly dump them at the border at night, then they will come to SA. @SS_Mogashoa The disrespect to eSwatini! The disrespect to Southern Africa! The disrespect to Africa! @RediTlhabi You know what this means akere? Hardened criminals, (rapists, paedophiles, murderers, robbers) unwanted by the USA and their home countries, being dumped in eSwatini, will end up in one place.... @MotsaZakhele What the hell is this? eSwatini government is a mess. This is really bad. Extremely bad. Deporting convicted criminals to us is appalling. Extremely appalling. DAILY NEWS
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
US deports migrants from Jamaica, Cuba to Eswatini
Cape Town: The United States sent five migrants it describes as 'barbaric' criminals to the African nation of Eswatini in an expansion of the Trump administration's largely secretive third-country deportation program, the US Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday. The US has already deported eight men to another African country, South Sudan, after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on sending people to countries where they have no ties. The South Sudanese government has declined to say where those men, also described as violent criminals, are after it took custody of them nearly two weeks ago.
