Republican Candidate Zach Rahn’s Stance on Immigration
Zach Rahn, a Republican running for governor of Iowa, has promised to prevent the state from hiring H-1B visa workers for white-collar jobs. He also criticized a House bill designed to increase the flow of H-2A workers into Iowa’s agriculture sector.
Rahn expressed his strong beliefs in a post, stating, “I fundamentally and completely reject the idea that America cannot prosper without illegal alien workers,” which he shared on July 22.
This post was a reaction to an article from Politico discussing initiatives by rural Republicans, supported by corporate interests, to create a large workforce of foreign nationals on temporary H-2A visas in rural areas.
He continued on the topic, saying:
Every time there’s a push for a pardon in Washington, the argument is always the same: “We have to do this for (insert group).” Now they say, “That’s what farmers want!” But it’s always the same lobbyists and multinational corporations feeding politicians these narratives, profiting off cheap foreign labor.
In the recent primary, Rahn narrowly defeated Trump-backed incumbent, Rep. Randy Feenstra. Initially trailing with just 9% in April, Rahn managed to win 38% to 37% against Feenstra on June 2. On election night, he expressed:
Every day we fear losing our beloved Iowa. Since 2000, we’ve lost 10,000 family farms. Young folks are leaving faster than in 46 other states because they see a lack of opportunity here. Our children are being pushed out of the market as hedge funds and foreign corporations drive up land costs. They treat Iowa land as a commodity, not our legacy. They see us as numbers, not neighbors. When I’m governor, that will change.
In June, Rahn criticized current Gov. Kim Reynolds for outsourcing community computer administration tasks to a firm that employs H-1B visa holders from India.
As governor, state contracts will not be awarded to H1B outsourcing companies. Furthermore, we will prioritize hiring Iowans for state contracts. If you want to be competitive, hire more Iowans.
On July 23, it came to light that an agreement allowed for Iowa jobs to be sent to India, raising concerns among locals.
Rosemary Jenks, co-founder of the Immigrant Responsibility Project, remarked on the political landscape, noting that reducing the visa workforce resonates with many Americans eager to reclaim job opportunities. She indicated that awareness about Rep. Feenstra’s role in supporting farm amnesty may have led to even stronger support for Rahn.
Rahn also opposes state universities’ policies that result in the transfer of high-paying jobs to foreign workers under the H-1B program.
More Republican leaders have begun to criticize the visa system amid rising public discontent regarding job losses affecting young Americans. Currently, over 2 million white-collar jobs in the U.S. are held by foreign contract workers entering through various visa programs, including H-1B and others.
Notable figures joining this opposition include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton, among others.
Jenks commented on the shifting debate around immigration policies:
Real-world impacts are now being questioned by legislators and other officials. The focus shouldn’t just be on the visa program, but on how it affects Americans, who benefits, and who suffers.
