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‘H-1B is a business model’: Trump official defends tech firm suspensions, claims visa program is costing Americans jobs
Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito defended the suspension of Microsoft, Adobe and six IT companies from the PERM green card process.
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US Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said that technology companies use the H-1B visa program as a business model to replace American workers, defending the Trump administration’s decision to suspend several companies from the employment-based green card process.
Speaking in a video shared on X, D’Esposito argued that employers should hire foreign workers only as a temporary measure while looking for qualified American candidates, insisting that US graduates were available to fill skilled positions.
“This is not a business model,” D’Esposito said. “They are using the H-1B as a business model, and that's wrong. They're taking American jobs away from American workers.”
His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of US employers that rely on foreign professionals, to fill technology and other specialized roles.
‘Plenty of Americans looking for jobs’
D’Esposito said companies should not treat foreign-worker recruitment as a long-term staffing strategy when qualified American workers are available.
“It was a temporary opportunity for them to put workers in place until they found a talented American,” he said, adding that there were “plenty of people graduating schools and universities looking for a job”.
The comments followed the Trump administration’s move to suspend Microsoft, Adobe and six major information technology companies from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program, a key step in sponsoring foreign employees for employment-based green cards.
The affected companies include Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini. The action was announced by Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling on October 8.
PERM is separate from the H-1B visa program. It generally requires employers sponsoring foreign workers for certain employment-based green cards to obtain labor certification from the Department of Labor. The suspensions concern the companies’ participation in this process, rather than a blanket ban on their H-1B visas.
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Trump administration tightens immigration enforcement
D’Esposito also linked the action to President Donald Trump’s wider immigration agenda, saying the administration was working to strengthen enforcement beyond the country’s physical borders.
“He secured the front door of the United States of America, and now we are working alongside him and Vice President Vance to secure the back door,” he said, referring to people allegedly seeking citizenship through improper means.
The action also raises questions for technology companies that depend on international recruitment to fill specialized positions. While the administration says its measures are intended to protect American workers, employers maintain that foreign professionals remain important to their operations.
