President Joe Biden criticised Elon Musk 's stance on immigration , calling attention to the tech mogul’s own history as an " undocumented worker " in the United States. "The wealthiest man in the world turned out to be an illegal worker when he was here," Biden said, talking about Musk's early years in America when he allegedly violated immigration laws. The President’s comments were in response to Musk’s support for Republican Donald Trump’s anti-immigration stance, a position Musk has amplified on X, the platform he owns, where he frequently warns against “open borders” and undocumented immigrants.
According to a recent report by The Washington Post, Musk, originally from South Africa, worked in the US without legal authorisation in the 1990s as he co-founded Zip2, the company that marked his start in Silicon Valley . Musk had entered the US on a student visa to attend Stanford University but reportedly abandoned the programme within days, forfeiting his legal right to work. In a 2005 email revealed during a defamation lawsuit, Musk himself acknowledged his unauthorised status at the time, writing that he enrolled at Stanford primarily as a way to stay in the country legally, only to leave and focus on his start-up.
Legal experts explained that Musk’s situation was legally questionable; a foreign student who drops out of school would typically be required to leave the country. At Zip2, Musk took on significant roles in designing and managing the company’s software, actions that Leon Fresco, a former Department of Justice immigration attorney, says would be considered employment, thereby breaching visa requirements. Early investors were reportedly aware of Musk’s precarious immigration status, with funding agreements specifying that Musk and his brother needed to resolve their legal status within 45 days to protect the investment.
Despite his own background as an immigrant who initially lacked legal work authorisation, Musk has become a prominent voice advocating for stricter immigration controls, often framing undocumented immigration as a serious threat to the country. Last month, Musk stated that he is “extremely pro-immigrant” but argued that only those deemed “talented, hardworking and ethical” should be allowed entry. His alignment with Trump’s anti-immigration platform and his vocal criticism of “illegals” have drawn criticism given his own complicated history with US immigration laws.
Following Biden's remarks, Musk took to X to counter, writing, “So NOW he cares about illegals.”
According to a recent report by The Washington Post, Musk, originally from South Africa, worked in the US without legal authorisation in the 1990s as he co-founded Zip2, the company that marked his start in Silicon Valley . Musk had entered the US on a student visa to attend Stanford University but reportedly abandoned the programme within days, forfeiting his legal right to work. In a 2005 email revealed during a defamation lawsuit, Musk himself acknowledged his unauthorised status at the time, writing that he enrolled at Stanford primarily as a way to stay in the country legally, only to leave and focus on his start-up.
So NOW he cares about illegals 🤣🤣 https://t.co/8JqQlu4Nyq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2024
Legal experts explained that Musk’s situation was legally questionable; a foreign student who drops out of school would typically be required to leave the country. At Zip2, Musk took on significant roles in designing and managing the company’s software, actions that Leon Fresco, a former Department of Justice immigration attorney, says would be considered employment, thereby breaching visa requirements. Early investors were reportedly aware of Musk’s precarious immigration status, with funding agreements specifying that Musk and his brother needed to resolve their legal status within 45 days to protect the investment.
Despite his own background as an immigrant who initially lacked legal work authorisation, Musk has become a prominent voice advocating for stricter immigration controls, often framing undocumented immigration as a serious threat to the country. Last month, Musk stated that he is “extremely pro-immigrant” but argued that only those deemed “talented, hardworking and ethical” should be allowed entry. His alignment with Trump’s anti-immigration platform and his vocal criticism of “illegals” have drawn criticism given his own complicated history with US immigration laws.
Following Biden's remarks, Musk took to X to counter, writing, “So NOW he cares about illegals.”
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