The Trump administration has launched its first major investigation into alleged fraud involving H-1B and PERM visa programs, expanding its effort to combat immigration-related fraud and protect American workers.
Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito announced the investigation Wednesday during an appearance on Fox Business, saying the probe will examine allegations of H-1B and PERM visa abuse, labor trafficking and the displacement of U.S. workers.
D’Esposito said investigators have already issued dozens of subpoenas as part of the investigation.
“This is another example where fraud is fueling violent crime,” D’Esposito said.
“Much of the visa and the human trafficking that we see when it comes to this foreign labor 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.”
According to D’Esposito, the investigation extends beyond traditional labor sectors.
“This is not just people working in factories or actual labor,” he said.
“These are people working in medical facilities and doctors’ offices that are actually putting people in harm’s way.”
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers in specialty occupations for an initial three-year period that may be extended to six years.
Technology companies account for an estimated 60 percent to 70 percent of new H-1B visa applications in recent years. Other industries making significant use of the program include consulting and professional services, engineering and manufacturing, health care and medical research, and higher education.
D’Esposito said California, New York and Illinois rank among the top states for H-1B visa applicants.
He said the administration’s objective is to ensure American workers are protected from abuse of the visa system.
The goal, he said, is to make sure hardworking Americans “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.”