Co-owner and chairman of Skill Storm Hany Girgis has reignited the U.S. debate over immigration and employment after resharing a post on X that sharply questions who the current system is truly designed to serve.
“This didn’t happen by accident.
Native workers didn’t suddenly become unemployable.
Companies just found a cheaper, more controllable workforce.
H-1B for dependency.
OPT for churn.
Outsourcing for scale.
At what point do we admit this isn’t immigration policy anymore, it’s labour policy written by corporations?” Girgis wrote, tagging several prominent political figures, including @StephenM, @JDVance, @realDonaldTrump, @SenEricSchmitt, @RepGosar, and @howardlutnick.
The post by Girgis amplified included a graphic comparing employment trends between native-born and foreign-born workers in the United States. According to the chart, native- born employment declined by 656,000 to 132.608 million, while foreign-born employment rose by 310,000 to 32.426 million. Shared without additional context, the data quickly fueled strong reactions online, particularly among users concerned about wage pressure, job security, and the long-term impact of guest worker programs.
Girgis’ remarks tap into a growing sentiment within segments of corporate America and the political right that programs such as H-1B visas and Optional Practical Training (OPT) have moved beyond addressing genuine skill shortages. Critics argue these pathways now enable companies to reduce labour costs and maintain a more dependent workforce, often at the expense of native-born workers.
The timing of the post is notable. Immigration, workforce participation, and the role of large corporations in shaping labour policy are expected to feature prominently in the 2026 political cycle. Voices like Girgis, coming from a business leader rather than a career politician, add a different dimension to the debate, blurring the lines between economic policy, corporate strategy, and immigration reform.
READ: 2025 crackdown: State Department revokes over 100,000 visas under Trump (January 13, 2025)
Backlash has been particularly pronounced among MAGA supporters, many of whom are now openly opposing the H-1B program and related visa pathways. They argue these programs undercut American workers and suppress wages. On social media, several users voices are framing the issue as a departure from the “America First” agenda, with calls to tighten or overhaul employment-based immigration gaining momentum across X and other platforms.
At the same time, the debate remains deeply divided. Supporters of skilled immigration warn that restricting H-1B and OPT could weaken U.S. competitiveness and innovation. Critics counter that the system has drifted far from its original intent.
SkillStorm is a U.S.-based technology workforce company focused on building and deploying job-ready IT talent for both private sector and government clients. The firm specializes in training, certifying, and placing professionals in high-demand technology roles, aiming to bridge the skills gap by assembling customized tech teams for large enterprises and long-term projects. Skill Storm works with Fortune 500 companies and collaborates with universities and workforce partners to create career pathways in areas such as AWS, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Pega, and cybersecurity.
Founded in 2002, the company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with delivery centers across the United States. Girgis is the co-founder, chairman, and owner of SkillStorm. Before launching the company, he held senior roles in the technology services sector, including serving as a national accounts development manager at Technisource.