In recent months, investigations have uncovered staggering levels of fraud in government programs — from child care subsidies to Medicare to immigration benefits. Exposing fraud is important. But when it comes to immigration, there’s a danger that focusing on fraud will distract policymakers from the larger problem: many of the programs themselves are fundamentally flawed.
Take the H-1B program (please!), which is mainly used by the computer industry to import low-cost labor from India. Vice President J.D. Vance, the administration’s “fraud czar”, recently announced a major probe into H-1B fraud. To be clear, I’m certain Vance, if he were able, would make sweeping changes to the program, if not eliminate it altogether.
But there are others in the administration, possibly including the president himself, who think the H-1B program is just swell, and who hope that moving against fraud will defuse the growing public anger over the program’s effects.
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