President Donald Trump lauded several immigrant tech executives for their contributions to American innovation Thursday, even as his vice president announced a suspension of Microsoft from a program used to secure green cards for skilled foreign workers. The conflicting messages highlight the administration's efforts to curb immigration while also seeking to foster economic growth driven by the technology sector.
Vice President Mike Pence revealed at a news conference that Microsoft was being suspended from a program that allows companies to sponsor foreign workers for green cards, accusing the company of abusing the H-1B visa system. Pence stated that Microsoft laid off 6,000 U.S. workers last year while also obtaining 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.
"Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers," Pence said. "You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants."
Microsoft, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, employs 223,000 people globally. The company issued a statement asserting that most of its H-1B visa applications in the past fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees.
Earlier the same day, Trump presented the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who immigrated from India. Trump praised Nadella's role in transforming Microsoft and empowering users worldwide. "For more than three decades, Satya Nadella has been a key figure in the transformation of Microsoft, revolutionizing the company and empowering businesses, students and consumers from all over the world with some of the most capable software ever built," Trump said.
When questioned about the apparent contradiction, Pence stated, "We’re going to continue to support Microsoft and have a great relationship with Microsoft."
Of the six tech leaders honored with awards for scientific and technological achievement, five were foreign-born. In addition to Nadella, recipients of the National Medal of Science and Technology and Innovation included SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (born in South Africa), Google co-founder Sergey Brin (Russia), Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (Taiwan), and Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (Taiwan). Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, who was born in Texas, also received an award.
Nadella thanked Trump on social media, posting, "I’m humbled to stand alongside so many giants of American innovation and looking forward for what we can continue to do together to advance technology and drive American prosperity."
Trump referred to the honorees as "national treasures" and emphasized the significance of the day for science and technology, comparing them to his uncle, John Trump, a former MIT professor who received the National Medal of Science in 1983. He characterized the group as possessing a "very high IQ audience."
The awards ceremony, part of a summit promoting a "golden age" of science, builds on Trump's frequent praise for entrepreneurs developing artificial intelligence. He views AI as crucial to his economic agenda and advocates for U.S. leadership in its development, while resisting regulations he fears could hinder growth.
This event occurred amidst increased engagement between tech leaders and the White House. Musk, Huang, and Su attended a state dinner for China's leader Xi Jinping, alongside Brin, Nadella, and Dell. Huang and Musk were also among tech leaders who recently signed a voluntary agreement on AI development following national security concerns.
Pence also indicated that universities, including Stanford and MIT, should be investigated for visa fraud, noting that Huang and Brin have degrees from Stanford, and Su holds multiple degrees from MIT.
A White House spokesperson, Liz Huston, commented on the recipients' contributions: "These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation."