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The ongoing US Presidential election has ignited a fierce debate around immigration, and a recent clash between President Joe Biden and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has brought the issue to the forefront. Biden, at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 26, accused Musk of hypocrisy regarding immigration. He pointed out that Musk, now the world's wealthiest man, had launched his career in the US as an “illegal worker” before achieving his current status. This accusation stemmed from a Washington Post report that detailed how Musk, after dropping out of Stanford University in 1995 to pursue his debut company Zip2, almost certainly worked in the US without proper authorization.
Biden, labeling Musk as a supporter of former President Donald Trump, further criticized Trump and the Republican party for failing to address the immigration crisis at the border. Musk, a staunch supporter of Trump's re-election bid, has been actively promoting Trump's “open border” opposition on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He has even accused Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats of “importing voters” through illegal and temporary protected status immigration. Musk's stance on the issue is particularly interesting given his own past actions, and his comparison of the US-Mexico border to a “zombie apocalypse” during a recent campaign event for Trump seems at odds with his previous self-description as “extremely pro immigrant, being one myself.”
In response to Biden's allegations, Musk took to Twitter, stating that he was on a J-1 visa which transitioned to an H-1B and that Biden's team was aware of this due to access to his records. He attributed Biden's accusations to his desperation due to the upcoming election. Legal experts cited by the Washington Post have clarified that foreign students are not permitted to drop out of their studies to start a company, even if they aren't being paid. Musk himself has previously acknowledged the legal gray area surrounding his actions. Despite these recent accusations and the controversy surrounding his immigration status, Musk has made a considerable impact on the US economy through his companies. Tesla, SpaceX, and X employ a combined workforce of over 125,000 individuals. As the US Presidential election nears, immigration is a key issue that will undoubtedly continue to be a subject of debate and scrutiny.