Nalin Haley, the son of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, blasted GOP gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy for his support of legal immigration, saying it makes no sense when companies aren’t hiring.
Ramaswamy, who has long championed a merit‑based visa system with no fixed cap, recently wrote a post in December 2024 that blamed the U.S. for a STEM talent gap and called for a larger influx of skilled foreign workers.
The Trump administration’s unprecedented crackdown on the H‑1B visa program, which has linked many green cards to U.S. employers, set the stage for Ramaswamy’s comments and intensified the debate over the role of legal immigration in a fragile economy.
Haley’s remarks—"It makes no sense to have legal immigration at a time when companies aren’t hiring, AI is replacing jobs, youth unemployment is high, and having a fragile economy,"—were accompanied by a call to keep the GOP focused on American workers.
The comment comes as the Ohio governor race, now a toss‑up, shifts toward a national spotlight; polling shows Democrat Amy Acton ahead, with Ramaswamy trailing by 4–5 percentage points.
Ramaswamy’s campaign, backed by figures like JD Vance, will likely address the immigration issue in upcoming debates, while Haley’s criticism may pressure GOP leaders to clarify their own positions before the November primary.