US politicians use 'fraudulent programs' to bring in immigrants, says Musk

Musk's remarks on X revive political tensions as Trump's campaign rhetoric and H-1B visa changes bring immigration back into focus

Billionaire Elon Musk has stirred fresh controversy on X by linking immigration to elections in the United States. In a post shared on Saturday, he accused the political left of using fraudulent immigration policies to bring in and retain both legal and undocumented immigrants, turning the country into a single-party state.

 

“If this is not reversed, your vote will mean nothing,” Musk wrote, warning taxpayers about what he described as misuse of public funds.

 

Immigration and elections in focus

 

Musk pointed to the election of Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative from Minnesota who was born in Somalia, as an example of what he called political manipulation.

 

 

He suggested her electoral success was driven by a Somali voting bloc in a state that he said had no historic Somali population. He went on to claim that similar patterns were emerging in Europe, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

 

Omar, who arrived in the United States as a refugee and became a citizen in 2000, has previously rejected claims that her background undermines her legitimacy as an elected official.

 

Musk’s remarks landed at a moment when immigration is again a central issue in US politics, with policy debates spilling into public arguments over democracy, borders and voting rights.

 

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump drew criticism after comments made at a campaign rally about Somalia and Omar.

 

Calling Somalia “about the worst country in the world”, Trump mocked the headscarf worn by Omar and told supporters: “Throw her the hell out. She does nothing but complain.”

 

He added: “Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden?”

 

The comments reignited debate over race, immigration and rhetoric in US political campaigns.

 

H-1B visa changes add pressure

 

The renewed focus on immigration comes as the Trump administration moves ahead with major changes to the H-1B work visa programme.

 

Last week, the administration announced it would replace the long-running lottery system with a weighted model that gives preference to higher-paid and more experienced foreign workers. The shift is expected to make it harder for entry-level professionals to secure visas, including many applicants from India.

 

The decision follows a series of administrative moves targeting the programme.

 

“The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by US employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” said Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

Republican leaders and India-linked rhetoric

 

While Musk did not name India in his post, other senior Republicans have made direct references.

 

In August, Stephen Miller, a key architect of President Trump’s immigration policies, spoke on Fox News about Indian applicants.

 

“They engage in a lot of cheating on immigration policies that is very harmful to American workers,” said Miller.

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also criticised the H-1B system, referring to the programme that brings highly skilled workers, many from India, to the US with their families as “chain migration run amok”.

 

The debate continues to play out across rallies, policy announcements and social media, with immigration once again sitting at the centre of America’s political conversation.