US Administration Defends American Jobs: Suspends Green-Card Applications for Tech Giants, Investigates University Visa Abuse
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The Department of Labor has taken decisive action to protect American workers, suspending green-card applications for major tech firms and launching investigations into top universities over suspected visa system abuse.
The U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday a bold move to freeze permanent labor certification (PERM) applications for several large technology companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, and Indian IT outsourcers like Infosys and Cognizant. This is a crucial step in a broader crackdown to stop the rampant abuse of the skilled-worker immigration system that has undermined American workers for years.
Vice President JD Vance made it clear that these suspensions will remain in place 'as long as it needs to,' urging tech firms to stop exploiting loopholes with ineffective job ads and hiring lower-paid foreign workers instead of Americans. Vance highlighted that Microsoft alone filed the most PERM applications, using 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards, all while laying off 6,000 U.S. workers last year—a clear example of how big tech puts profits over American jobs.
Microsoft responded by claiming that 80% of its recent H-1B filings were for existing employees, not new hires, and insisted it pays H-1B workers the same as Americans. Yet the company still announced another 4,800 job cuts, showing how little regard these global corporations have for American workers.
Ken Mahoney, CEO of Mahoney Asset Management, noted that while the immediate financial impact on tech giants may be limited, the long-term effects could be significant. But protecting American jobs and restoring fairness to the labor market must come first.
The administration is also taking on academia. Subpoenas have been issued to nine elite universities—including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, and MIT—over concerns that exchange-visitor visas are being abused to suppress American wages. Labor Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito said investigators will look into possible foreign influence, improper financial ties, or visa fraud that could threaten the integrity of federally funded research.
Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of the American Council on Education, warned that these investigations could impact the $40 billion international students spend in the U.S. each year. But the administration is right to put American interests first and ensure that the visa system is not exploited at the expense of U.S. workers and taxpayers.
These actions build on earlier efforts, such as the September 'Project Firewall' enforcement drive and a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions. The administration has made it clear: under President Trump's second term, American jobs and production will be protected from foreign exploitation and corporate greed.