H-1B Visas and American Tech Workers: A Response to Jeffrey Sachs

In this brief commentary, Kevin Lynn, Executive Director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy and Founder of U.S. Tech Workers, challenges economist Jeffrey Sachs' perspectives on America's economic divide. Lynn argues that contrary to Sachs' view that education access and "upskilling" are the primary barriers for American workers, the real issue is displacement of qualified American tech professionals through visa programs like H-1B, L-1, and STEM OPT. Drawing on both statistical evidence and first-hand accounts from displaced workers, Lynn makes the case that these programs artificially suppress wages and create barriers for American STEM professionals despite their qualifications.