Nalin Haley, son of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, has criticized Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over his support for a merit-based legal immigration system. He argues that foreign workers threaten American employment and that immigration policy should prioritize U.S. citizens.
In a post on X on Oct. 12, Haley responded to a repost by Leading Report discussing Ramaswamy’s position that legal immigration should not be subject to a numerical cap but should instead be based on merit.
“It makes no sense to have legal immigration at a time when companies aren’t hiring, AI is replacing jobs, youth unemployment is high, and having a fragile economy,” Haley wrote. “But they know this, what it’s really about is replacing American workers to maximize corporate profit.”
Haley further argued that meritocracy should operate within national boundaries rather than through a global labor market.
READ: Nalin Haley challenges Vivek Ramaswamy on religion (September 29, 2026)
“Meritocracy only works if it’s within a country. It can only be meritocracy for Americans. Otherwise, you’re no longer a country and reduced to a globalist entity,” he wrote.
In a separate comment, Haley accused some Republicans of attempting to revive the party’s early-2010s libertarian approach to immigration and economic policy.
“They’re trying to take the GOP back to early 2010’s libertarianism and we can’t let that happen,” he wrote. “The Republican Party must be a party supportive of the working class, uplifted by Americans and for Americans.”
The exchange adds to an increasingly public disagreement within Republican circles over skilled foreign workers, the H-1B visa program and the role of legal immigration in the American economy.
Ramaswamy’s merit-based immigration position
Ramaswamy has argued that the United States should attract skilled workers based on merit rather than rely on fixed numerical limits. His position has been part of a broader debate within the Republican Party over whether immigration policy should prioritize employers’ access to international talent or impose tighter restrictions to protect American workers.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Ramaswamy defended the importance of skilled immigration and argued that the United States needed to improve its domestic education system, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, to reduce its reliance on foreign professionals.
His position has drawn criticism from immigration restrictionists who argue that employers may use foreign-worker programs to reduce labor costs or replace American employees.
Haley’s latest remarks directly challenge the idea that a merit-based system can justify continued legal immigration when American workers face economic uncertainty.
Haley’s broader campaign against legal immigration
Haley has repeatedly called for ending legal immigration and the H-1B visa program, placing him at odds with Republicans who support attracting international talent to strengthen the U.S. economy.
In a Sept. 26 post on X, he linked immigration to the American affordability crisis and called for an end to both unauthorized and legal immigration, including H-1B visas. He argued that immigration restrictions should form part of a broader effort to prioritize American workers and families.
In another exchange in September, Haley challenged Ramaswamy over his comments on shared Hindu and Judeo-Christian values, reflecting a wider disagreement between the two over religion, national identity and the direction of the Republican Party.
READ: ‘America for Americans’: Nalin Haley demands end to H-1B visas and legal immigration (September 26, 2026)
The latest dispute comes as the Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of employment-based immigration.
Federal officials have suspended several technology and IT companies from the Department of Labor’s Permanent Labor Certification, or PERM, program, which employers use to sponsor eligible foreign workers for permanent residency.
Vice President JD Vance has argued that companies should not lay off American workers while seeking foreign employees through H-1B visas. The administration has framed its actions as an effort to protect domestic employment and address alleged abuses of employment-based immigration programs.
The debate over legal immigration remains contentious among Republicans, with restrictionists such as Haley advocating sweeping limits and supporters of skilled immigration arguing that access to international talent remains important for American businesses and technological competitiveness.