Elon Musk sends ‘strong’ message amid US immigration debate, “Anyone – of any race, creed or nationality…” – Times of India

Elon Musk expressed his respect for immigrants who have contributed significantly to the United States. His statement came amidst a debate on immigration, where he advocated for increasing immigration to address the shortage of skilled tech workers in the country.
He argues that the US needs to attract and retain top talent from around the world to maintain its competitive edge in technology and innovation.
“Anyone – of any race, creed or nationality – who came to America and worked like hell to contribute to this country will forever have my respect,” Musk said in a post on X.
“America is the land of freedom and opportunity. Fight with every fiber of your being to keep it that way!” he added.

Musk criticises those “who want America to lose”

Musk also lashed out at those who prioritise personal gain over the well-being of the country, implying they are undermining America, urging people to actively defend these values.
“This is the right position for those who want America to win. For those who want America to lose for their own personal gain, I have no respect. Zero,” he added in a separate post that showed his previous tweet on increasing skilled immigration.

The immigration issue was already a hot-topic during the run-up to the US elections with President-elect Donald Trump raising the issue in his rallies. However, a debate was ignited after Trump nominated Sriram Krishnan, a venture capitalist with ties to supporting more skilled worker visas, which led to backlash among anti-immigration supporters.
Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, have pushed for expansion of foreign worker visas, arguing that the US faces a critical shortage of highly skilled engineers, which is stalling growth in sectors like technology and space exploration.
Musk emphasised that innovation requires top talent regardless of nationality just like Ramaswamy who advocates merit-based immigration.