Disney's IT layoffs fuel Trump, Rubio H-1B attacks at debate

In Florida Thursday night, Republican presidential candidates took on the H-1B visa program in a way they have never done before. They said the program is being abused, needs reform and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, in particular, seemed to recommend ending it.

The attention is due to the layoff last year of Disney IT workers, most who were working in Orlando. Some of those workers had to train visa-holding replacements. Disney laid off between 200 to 300 IT workers after bringing in IT contractors that are heavy users of the visa.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has supported an H-1B cap increase, and has said little about the visa-related IT layoffs at Disney or any other place, offered an extended critique of the H-1B program.

Rubio faulted, in particular, the use of visas by large IT services companies, pointing to firms based in India, in particular. He said H-1B program abuses take jobs from U.S. workers.

When it was his turn to talk about the visa, Trump, the billionaire businessman, began with an admission. "First of all, I know the H-1B very well, and it's something that I frankly use and I shouldn't be allowed to use -- we shouldn't have it," said Trump. He explained himself by saying the visa is available to use and "I'm a businessman."

The frontrunner has sent out confusing signals about the H-1B program.

At last week's debate, Trump said he was "softening" his position on the visa. But immediately following the debate, he issued a statement saying that his remarks were about immigration, and not the non-immigrant H-1B visa.

In that post-debate statement at the time, Trump said: "I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program, and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program."

Last night, Trump seemed more focused, certain -- even radical. He talked about ending the visa. "It's very bad for our workers and it's unfair for...Read More HERE

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