Vice President JD Vance urged an audience of conservative college students Tuesday night to lobby their politicians against the H-1B visa program, which allows companies to hire foreign workers and bring them to the U.S. legally. 

Multiple Republican lawmakers have pushed to eliminate or reform the H-1B visa program in recent years, which opponents argue takes jobs away from American college students in favor of educated foreign workers. 

Vance told students at a Turning Point USA event in Georgia that they should confront politicians in their state about their views and plans for the program.

“You have a Senate primary going on right now,” he said. Every single one of you should ask those Senate candidates: What do you think about the H-1B visa? Would you co-sponsor the Vice President’s —and former Senator’s — legislation to eliminate that program because it’s basically just something that big tech companies take advantage of? 

"These are the things that you guys have to do, because I can’t keep these politicians honest by myself, I need your help," he insisted. "It’s a very big job."

Vance said that he wants those jobs that are going to foreign workers to go to students instead when they graduate, and that support for the legislation to eliminate the program has gained support in Congress, just not enough to pass.

"There are all of these things that you can do [in the White House]… purely through administrative action," he said. "But for us to really make this stick… we need Congress to codify this stuff.”

Georgia GOP Rep. Mike Collins, who is leading the Republican nomination for Senate, has already come out against the program in a campaign video last month. 

"This [race] is about legal immigration taking away jobs, making life more expensive, and radically changing our country," Collins said in a video. "I mean, think about this: Students are told to 'Go to college, study hard, and you’ll get a good job!' just to see companies hire H-1B visa [workers] to fill those holes.

"I mean, families can’t afford homes because there are simply too many people here who shouldn’t be. You know the quickest way to bring down costs? Stop endless migration," he continued. "You want to know the quickest way to give more young Americans out there opportunities? You got it! Stop endless migration."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.