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Derek Thompson
@DKThomp
4pm: [10,000 jokes] what if Trump just like deported Elon for spite 4:39pm: Steve Bannon: "I am of the strong belief that Musk is an illegal alien and should be deported from the country immediately"
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Paul
@pwallmann5
The exact player that your team needs just became a free agent… but you guys decided to make him your villain the entire book tour.
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Brian
@boilerroom481
Not sure how many would go to bat for Elon if this happened, given all the bridges he’s burned
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Ryan Boger
@rboger12
Please stop it everyone. I cannot possibly keep up with all the funny developments happening around this situation…I fear I’m to lose focus on work and raising my family today
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bruce raben
@bruceraben1
I thought white South Africans were given asylum in the U.S. as their lives are apparently at risk. So musk can be both an illegal and a legal at the same time
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WA - Tech Millennials #Stand_Up
@WATechMillenial
Did elon musk break any us visa regulations
Answer by Grok, expand to see full conversation
There is evidence suggesting that Elon Musk may have violated U.S. visa regulations in the mid-1990s by working without proper authorization while on a J-1 student visa. According to a Washington Post report, Musk arrived in the U.S. in 1995 to attend a graduate program at Stanford University but did not enroll in classes, instead focusing on his startup, Zip2. J-1 visas typically allow limited work related to academic programs, and only under specific conditions, such as maintaining full-time enrollment and obtaining university approval for off-campus work. By not enrolling and working on Zip2, Musk likely violated the terms of his J-1 visa, which required him to be in good academic standing and pursuing a full course of study. Legal experts cited in various reports, such as immigration attorney Charles Kuck and Cornell Law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr, state that working without authorization on a J-1 visa constitutes a clear violation of immigration law. A 2005 email from Musk, referenced in a defamation lawsuit, indicated he applied to Stanford to maintain legal status but had “no legal right to stay in the country” otherwise, suggesting he was aware of his precarious status. Investors in Zip2 reportedly expressed concerns about Musk’s immigration status, giving him and his brother Kimbal 45 days to secure legal work authorization to avoid potential issues with the company’s funding. Musk has denied these allegations, claiming on X that he was legally permitted to work, stating he held a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H-1B work visa, and that immigration authorities have his records. He later obtained an H-1B visa in 1997 through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provisions for Canadians, as he also held Canadian citizenship, and became a U.S. citizen in 2002. Some experts note that immigration enforcement was less stringent in the 1990s, and violations like overstaying or working without authorization were often overlooked, especially before the post-9/11 tightening of regulations. However, if Musk worked without authorization and failed to disclose this during his green card or naturalization applications (Forms I-485 and N-400), it could theoretically lead to denaturalization, as misrepresentation of material facts is grounds for revoking citizenship under 8 U.S.C. § 1451. Legal experts like Amanda Frost and Ira Kurzban have noted that such violations, if undisclosed, could have barred him from obtaining a green card or citizenship, though there’s no evidence he lied on these forms. Immigration attorney David Bredin argued that Musk’s citizenship is unlikely to be revoked, as his background would have been thoroughly vetted during naturalization, and any minor violations from decades ago would likely be deemed inconsequential. In summary, while there is strong evidence suggesting Musk violated J-1 visa terms by working on Zip2 without authorization, the lack of strict enforcement at the time, his subsequent legal status adjustments, and the absence of proof of fraud in his immigration applications make legal consequences like deportation or denaturalization unlikely. The controversy remains debated, with Musk’s supporters arguing he was legally compliant and critics pointing to the evidence of early violations. Regarding Melania Trump, as discussed previously, there are parallels in the allegations of working without proper authorization. Both cases involve claims of visa violations early in their U.S. residency—Melania potentially working on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa and Musk on a J-1 visa. However, like Musk, Melania’s subsequent legal status (H-1B visa and citizenship in 2006) and the lack of definitive evidence of fraud in her applications make it unlikely her citizenship would be challenged on these grounds. The key difference is that Musk’s case involves more documented evidence, such as the 2005 email and investor concerns, while Melania’s case relies on less conclusive records of modeling assignments. Neither faced legal repercussions at the time, likely due to lax enforcement in the 1990s.
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Gregory Graham
@ggraham412
Yeah, that's smart: Kneecap the last actual industrialist in the USA. Maybe he'll just leave and they won't have to kick him out.
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Daily Dairy
@MamaDailyDairy
Steve Bannon may be a talented political operative, but he is crazy for suggesting that Donald Trump should run in 2028 for a third term. And who can forget that he once claimed the 2020 election was stolen from his favorite candidate? #SteveBannon
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