An Indiana Republican lawmaker has openly criticised Purdue University for hiring a foreign software engineer on an H-1B visa. Andrew Ireland posted on X that Purdue was recruiting "ANOTHER foreign software engineer on an H-1B visa" with a salary of $149,000 per year. "Does anyone believe no qualified American could do this job for $149,000 a year? The same school has graduated tens of thousands of computer science students," Ireland wrote. "This has to stop." Ireland has a history of raising these concerns. Last month, he criticised Purdue University Northwest for applying to hire a foreign assistant professor of marketing on an H-1B visa at $127,500 salary. On January 3, he wrote: "Taxpayer-funded Purdue University disclosed it is hiring a foreigner on an H-1B visa to teach marketing." He added, "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 marketing role at Purdue Northwest's Hammond campus was listed on a Labour Condition Application from June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2029. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, Purdue University filed 265 H-1B Labour Condition Applications in fiscal year 2025, with 258 approved. The H-1B visa allows American employers to hire skilled foreign workers in fields like technology and defense. However, some Republican lawmakers and 'America First' supporters argue there is enough US talent in areas like marketing and software engineering. They claim hiring foreign workers in these fields cuts American opportunities and lowers wages. In fiscal year 2024, nationwide, USCIS approved 399,395 H-1B petitions, a 3% rise from 2023. Educational institutions made up 5.6% of approvals. While critics like Ireland question the practice, political figures including former President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy defend the H-1B visa program as a way to bring top global talent to the US.