Trump Admin Smacks Down Microsoft Over Visa Fraud Claims
A major immigration program allowing foreign workers to transfer to green cards has seen Microsoft suspended by the Trump administration. Vice President JD Vance announced this move, accusing the tech giant of fraud and the replacement of American employees. The White House is blocking Microsoft's ability to move temporary visa holders onto a permanent path.
Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling stated that several other large IT firms face the same ban. These companies include Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, and Adobe. The New York Post reported that the government will not accept any new applications from these firms.
Vice President Vance told reporters that the company laid off 6,000 American workers last year. He noted that the company gained from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards during that same time. The Washington Examiner confirmed these specific numbers came directly from the Vice President's statement.
Secretary Sonderling noted that these specific companies have requested almost 3 million foreign workers since 2009. "We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labor certification applications involving these companies," he declared. This freeze targets the Program Electronic Review Management labor certification process.
Vice President Vance offered a sharp calculation regarding the workforce changes at Microsoft. "If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants," he stated. This comment highlights the administration's view on the program's abuse.
Microsoft did not immediately reply to a request for comment concerning these serious allegations. Critics of the H-1B program have long argued it allows cheaper foreign labor to replace American employees. They claim the system is rife with abuse and unfair to local workers.
Despite this suspension, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to meet with President Trump on Thursday afternoon. The President is expected to award Nadella the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. This meeting will take place while the visa suspension remains in full effect.
The suspension halts the flow of new permanent labor certifications for the listed tech giants immediately. Secretary Sonderling made it clear that pending applications involving these companies will not be processed either. The government has drawn a hard line against these specific firms based on the reported data.
Officials have not yet stated how long this suspension will last for Microsoft and its peers. The administration has not provided a timeline for when these companies might regain access to the program. The focus remains on the reported replacement of American jobs with foreign visa holders.
Vice President Vance's comments suggest a broader crackdown on the use of foreign labor by major technology firms.
