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3d ago

Labor Department Launches 'Project Firewall' to Police H‑1B Employers

Federal investigators will pair case work with cross‑agency data sharing to prioritize qualified Americans in high‑skill hiring.

FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2018, file photo, people arrive before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office in Miami. The number of applications for visas used in the technology industry soared for a second straight year, raising “serious concerns” that some are manipulating the system to gain an unfair advantage, authorities said Friday. There were 780,884 applications for H-1B visas in this year's computer-generated lottery, up 61% from 483,927 last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a message to “stakeholders.” (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
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Overview

  • The Labor Department says it will open investigations, levy fines, recover back wages, assess civil penalties, and temporarily bar violators from foreign‑labor programs.
  • Project Firewall formalizes coordination with the EEOC, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and USCIS to detect fraud and discriminatory hiring tied to H‑1B use.
  • The initiative follows a new $100,000 fee on first‑time H‑1B petitions ordered in September, a policy now facing a legal challenge from business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Technology and research employers anticipate tighter scrutiny that could affect recruiting plans, compliance costs, and timelines for filling specialty roles.
  • Political divides sharpened as figures such as Ron DeSantis and Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked the program while President Trump recently defended limited reliance on specialized foreign talent; Indian nationals hold roughly 73% of H‑1B visas.