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2.0

DOL announces H-1B enforcement initiative "Project Firewall"

  1. Original Date Announced

    September 19, 2025

    The Department of Labor announces "Project Firewall," a new enforcement initiative focused on compliance with H-1B visa laws. As part of this initiative, the Secretary of Labor will now personally certify the initiation of investigations into suspected H-1B violations; the DOL will coordinate closely with USCIS, DOJ, and EEOC to share information; and employers found to have violated H-1B rules may face back wage orders, civil fines, and possible debarment from the H-1B program.

    Trump 2.0 [ID #1999]

    2025.09.19 DOL - US Department of Labor launches Project Firewall to protect America’s highly skilled workforce
  2. Effective Date

    September 19, 2025
  3. Subsequent Trump and Court Action

    November 7, 2025

    2025.11.07 Reported: Trump admin reveals over 100 investigations into H-1B program - Fox News

    Fox News reports that the Labor Department has initiated more than 175 investigations into the H-1B visa program as part of Project Firewall. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced that the department is utilizing "every resource currently at our disposal to put a stop to H-1B visa abuse," noting she is personally certifying investigations into suspected violations for the first time.

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  4. Subsequent Trump and Court Action

    November 19, 2025

    2025.11.19 EEOC - Discrimination Against American Workers is Against the Law

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published a document warning against unlawful "anti-American national origin discrimination" in the workplace. The document lists examples of such discrimination, including businesses listing a preference for H-1B visa holders in job postings or requiring additional application materials from U.S.-based workers but not foreign workers.

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Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Actions: Agency Directive Change in Practice
Agencies Affected: DOL DOJ Other

Commentary

  • 2026.01.02 Washington Post - Trump says the job market is booming for U.S.-born. The data doesn’t show it.

    The Washington Post questions the Trump administration's claims regarding job gains for native-born workers. While the White House stated that more than 2.5 million U.S.-born workers gained employment in 2025 as 1 million immigrants exited the workforce, economists found no evidence that American-born workers are getting jobs by the millions or moving into positions abandoned by immigrants en masse. In fact, data shows that U.S.-born workers are doing worse under the Trump administration than they were under the Biden administration.

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