There is a great deal in our society that resembles the 1920s, such as our growing inequality and corruption. Our connection to this era is perhaps seen most clearly in Trump’s immigration policies, which reflect the blatant racism and discrimination of the 1920s quota system.
However, many in his base are pressing him to go even further in those restrictions. This tension is particularly evident in the recent response to Trump’s comments on H-1B visas.
Trump’s racial discrimination on immigration can be most keenly seen in his refugee policy. In October, he set a historically low cap of 7,500 individuals, down from 125,000 in 2024 under the Biden administration. Additionally, these 7,500 slots will prioritize white Afrikaner refugees coming from South Africa, even though there are refugee groups that are far more desperate. Many Afrikaners have spoken out against the misrepresentation of their situation by the Trump administration. These refugee reductions are in addition to Trump shutting down the Southern border to those seeking asylum, breaking international law in the process.
These discriminatory and racially motivated immigration policies are similar to the 1920s quota system, where the U.S. government gave preference to those from Northern and Western Europe while banning immigration from Asia and reducing immigration overall. The KKK was particularly central in promoting these restrictive 1920s immigration policies that not only terrorized African Americans but also Jewish and Catholic immigrants. One of the primary authors of the 1924 bill, Albert Johnson of Washington, argued for limiting the Jewish refugees coming from Southern and Eastern Europe and referred to them as “filthy, un-American, and often dangerous in their habits.” In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act, which removed the more racist quota system.
While Trump’s racist policies toward refugees are very similar to the 1920s, there are some differences, particularly when it relates to H-1B visas for skilled workers. In a recent Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham, Trump was pressed on his allowance of H-1B visas. Trump argued that they were necessary to bring talent into the nation. When Ingraham responded that “we have plenty of talented people,” Trump responded, “No, you don’t.”
This caused a great deal of anger on the right, not only for the comments made about the American workforce but also for the implication that more foreign workers needed to be brought in. There was significant pushback, including by those like podcaster Steven Crowder, who called Trump’s comments “as bad as it gets.” Shortly after the comments, former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene floated a bill to end the H-1B visas.
The majority of those who receive H-1B visas are from Asia (73% in fiscal year 2023-24 came from India, with 12% coming from China). This could certainly play a role in some of the resistance to these visas by those on the far right. It also may add nuance to Trump’s motivations behind immigration. Though there is a more racist motivation as is seen in the refugee policy, perhaps even more than race, it is a class issue. Trump may be more open to the H-1B visas, even though they are primarily Asian immigrants, since most of these immigrants come from more wealth and education.
While Trump may be correct that we need more skilled workers coming in through the H-1B visa program, he overlooks the need for more working-class immigrants who are often being detained with current ICE raids, which is negatively impacting the agricultural and construction industries, among others. The U.S. economy does not just need immigrants who are engineers and computer scientists. Farms, factories, construction companies, hotels and restaurants need labor, too.
Whether it is an almost complete ban on immigration, which some in the MAGA movement want, or just a ban on poor immigrants like the Trump administration wants, neither will be beneficial to our overall society or our national values.
We should instead look to the words of Lyndon B Johnson, who stated after reversing the quota system, “This system violated the basic principle of American democracy — the principle that values and rewards each man on the basis of his merit as a man. It has been un-American in the highest sense, because it has been untrue to the faith that brought thousands to these shores even before we were a country.”
Will McCorkle is an education professor at College of Charleston in South Carolina.