Trump Admin launches major H-1B fraud probe
Washington, July 8
The Trump administration has launched its first major investigation into alleged fraud involving H-1B and PERM employment visas, with the US Labour Department's Inspector General saying investigators have already issued dozens of subpoenas as part of a sweeping probe into suspected labour trafficking and abuse of foreign worker programmes.
Labour Department Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito said the investigation would be one of the most aggressive actions ever undertaken by an Inspector General's office against alleged foreign labour fraud.
"Without a doubt... we are gonna take an aggressive action, what we believe is probably the most aggressive action against foreign labour fraud by an Inspector General, this administration," D'Esposito told Fox News in an interview. "We've already started to issue dozens of subpoenas."
He said investigators would pursue every lead with support from the President Donald Trump administration and Vice President J.D. Vance's fraud task force.
"We are going to make sure that we track down every lead," D'Esposito said. He added that whistleblowers had raised concerns involving "some of the biggest companies, like Cognizant," and said investigators would "work side by side with the president and vice president's fraud task force" as the inquiry moves forward.
D'Esposito alleged that fraud involving foreign labour programmes is linked to wider criminal networks.
"This is another example where fraud is fueling violent crime," he said. "Much of the visa and the human trafficking that we see when it comes to this foreign labour is tied to cartels, is tied to transnational gangs. And this is the work that we should be doing, not only to make America safe again, but to make America more affordable again."
He also claimed that the alleged fraud extends beyond traditional labour-intensive industries.
"This is not just people working... in factories," D'Esposito said. "These are people working in medical facilities, in doctors' offices that are actually putting people in harm's way. I mean, to the potential of causing death." He said investigators would examine cases involving factories, ports, hospitals and nursing facilities across the United States.
The Inspector General said the probe is being coordinated with the Department of Justice and federal prosecutors.
"Fraudsters are gonna be hunted down. They are going to be investigated, they're going to be arrested, and they're going to be put behind bars," he said.
D'Esposito also said the investigation is intended to ensure American workers are not displaced through abuse of employment-based visa programmes. He identified California, New York and Illinois among the states with the largest numbers of visa applicants.
"Our focus is we wanna make sure that we root out any fraud, waste and abuse in the visa programme to make sure that the American people... are not seeing their jobs taken away by foreigners or people who are gaming the system or financially benefiting from bringing these individuals into America and putting them into jobs that, quite frankly, they are not qualified to do," he said.
The H-1B visa programme allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in speciality occupations requiring specialised knowledge.
The programme is widely used by technology companies, consulting firms, healthcare providers, engineering companies and universities. Indian nationals have consistently accounted for the largest share of H-1B beneficiaries, making the programme particularly significant for India's information technology sector and skilled professionals seeking employment in the United States.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally! The H-1B system has been broken for years. As an American worker, I've seen how these programs are abused to undercut local wages and displace qualified citizens. It's not about being anti-immigrant—it's about fairness. Glad to see someone actually doing something about it.
As someone who went through the H-1B process legitimately, I welcome this. The fraudulent consultancies and body shops give all Indian professionals a bad name. My cousin worked for one of those shady firms—they paid him peanuts and made him stay in a cramped apartment with 5 others. It's modern-day exploitation. Clean up the system so genuine talent can thrive. 🌟
I'm a nurse in California and I've seen firsthand how some hospitals bring in foreign nurses through questionable visa programs. But we also have a genuine shortage of healthcare workers here. The issue isn't the visa itself—it's the abuse. If they focus on rooting out fraud without harming legitimate workers, this could be a good thing for everyone.
This sounds like Trump trying to score political points before the election. Calling it 'foreign labour fraud' and linking it to cartels is a bit dramatic. Yes, there is fraud, but the real issue is the outdated H-1B lottery system. Instead of aggressive investigations, fix the immigration system to be merit-based and transparent. That would solve many problems without demonizing hardworking immigrants.
'Make America safe again and more affordable'—that's rich coming from an administration that raised prices with tariffs. The H-1B program brings skilled workers who pay taxes
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.