Indiana State Representative Andrew Ireland criticized Purdue University Northwest for applying to hire a foreign national on an H-1B visa as an assistant marketing professor. The job starts in June 2026 with a salary of $127,500 at the Hammond campus. Ireland called this move "unfair to American workers" and questioned if no qualified Americans live nearby in Chicago. On social media platform X, Ireland said: "Taxpayer-funded Purdue University disclosed it is hiring a foreigner on an H-1B visa to teach marketing." He also asked, "Does anyone seriously believe no American in the Chicago area can teach marketing for $127,500 a year? The same university even has a PHD program for marketing students." The position is listed on Purdue Northwest’s Labor Condition Application, effective from June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2029. Purdue University has frequently used the H-1B visa program. USCIS data shows Purdue filed 265 H-1B applications in fiscal year 2025, with 258 approvals. H-1B visas are meant for “specialty occupations” where there are no qualified American workers. However, critics like Ireland argue fields such as marketing have enough domestic talent. Supporters, including Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy, say H-1Bs help bring top global talent to the US. USCIS reported nearly 400,000 H-1B petitions approved in fiscal year 2024, a 3% rise from the previous year. Education institutions represented 5.6% of these approvals. GOP nationalist leaders claim these visas suppress wages and reduce job chances for Americans, especially graduates. In response to a social media comment defending foreign hires, Ireland replied: "7.5 million people live within an hour of campus. Do you really think none are better hires as an assistant marketing professor at a satellite campus? If the concern is recruiting Einstein, O-1 visas exist for a reason."