H-1B Ban: Florida Candidate Targets Skilled Visa Holders
James Fishback Vows to Fire All H-1B Workers, Triggering Backlash in Florida Governor Race
H-1B Ban: Florida’s political landscape has erupted into a fierce debate after gubernatorial candidate James Fishback declared he would eliminate the H-1B visa programme if elected, igniting what is now widely described as the growing James Fishback H-1B controversy. His remarks—particularly those singling out Indian immigrants—have drawn sharp criticism from immigrant advocates, business groups, and members of his own party.
Fishback, a 30-year-old investor and former adviser to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formally launched his campaign last Monday. Since then, he has centred his candidacy on an aggressive “American jobs first” agenda that targets skilled visa holders and companies that rely on them.
Speaking to CNN, Fishback argued that the H-1B programme “blocks job opportunities for American workers” and “unfairly advantages immigrants from India,” adding that Indian nationals benefit the most from the temporary work visa. “You have recent college graduates in my home state who cannot get jobs,” he said. “We are the hungriest, smartest, most brilliant people on Earth. The idea of importing cheap labour for entry-level accounting or IT work from India and China is preposterous.”
When asked why he specifically highlighted Indian Americans—who make up just 0.59% of Florida’s population—Fishback defended his position by citing visa distribution trends. “I single out Indian-Americans not because they are Indian-Americans; I single them out because they receive about 77% of all H-1B visas,” he said. “I don’t hate immigrants, but I love our own people.”
H-1B Ban: Fishback Vows to Fire All H-1B Workers in State Agencies
Fishback’s rhetoric has gone beyond federal policy criticism. He has pledged to take direct action within Florida’s state government, promising to terminate every H-1B visa holder employed in state agencies and cancel contracts with private firms that hire foreign workers over local applicants.
“As Florida Governor, I’ll fire every H-1B working at a state agency and cancel state contracts with companies that employ H-1Bs instead of qualified Floridians,” he wrote in a post on X. “I will incentivise companies to hire Americans again.”
According to Newsweek, Fishback has promised hefty fines for companies that continue relying on visa holders. “They’re going to be hearing from me directly,” he said. “And they’re going to pay massive, massive fines.”
Rivalry Escalates: Fishback Targets Byron Donalds
Fishback has also taken aim at fellow Republican candidate Byron Donalds, accusing him of siding with corporate donors who benefit from the skilled visa system. In a fiery social-media attack, he labelled him “H-1Byron” and claimed Donalds “won’t do jack but shill for his H-1B corporate donors.”
The escalating hostility signals that the H-1B programme may become a defining issue in the Republican primary, polarising business-friendly conservatives and hardline populists.
H-1B Ban: Criticising Trump – A Rare Break from Loyalty
A self-described supporter of President Donald Trump, Fishback has nevertheless criticised Trump’s stance on high-skilled immigration. “I support President Trump. I don’t always support every decision he makes,” he told Newsweek, pushing back against Trump’s openness to certain visa categories.
Fishback, the son of a Colombian immigrant, argues that today’s immigration system bears little resemblance to the one that allowed his mother to come to the United States decades ago. He is calling for a complete moratorium on legal immigration, a position that places him among the most hardline candidates in the race.
Who Is James Fishback?
Fishback is the founder and CEO of Azoria, an investment firm he established in 2023. Raised by a bus-driver father and an immigrant mother, he dropped out of Georgetown University at age 21 to launch a hedge fund, a move that first drew attention in financial circles.
He later made headlines in June 2025 when he publicly distanced himself from DOGE following Elon Musk’s public dispute with Trump. Fishback demanded Musk apologise to Trump for what he called “baseless personal attacks,” positioning himself firmly in the America First camp.