The Department of Labor on Friday announced the launch of Project Firewall, an H-1B enforcement initiative. The announcement came the same day President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating a $100,000 payment with H-1B petitions.
“The Trump Administration is standing by our commitment to end practices that leave Americans in the dust. As we reestablish economic dominance, we must protect our most valuable resource: the American worker. Launching Project Firewall will help us ensure no employers are abusing H-1B visas at the expense of our workforce,” US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said, and added, “By rooting out fraud and abuse, the Department of Labor and our federal partners will ensure that highly skilled jobs go to Americans first.”
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Project Firewall: 5 things to know
The Department of Labor on an X post said “The days of employers abusing H-1B Visas are over. Introducing PROJECT FIREWALL—our plan to ensure high-skilled jobs go to AMERICANS FIRST”.
{{/usCountry}}The Department of Labor on an X post said “The days of employers abusing H-1B Visas are over. Introducing PROJECT FIREWALL—our plan to ensure high-skilled jobs go to AMERICANS FIRST”.
{{/usCountry}}In a press release, the department highlighted the key aspects of Project Firewall.
- Project Firewall aims to safeguard the rights, wages, and job chances of highly skilled American workers, by ensuring employers give priority to qualified Americans.
- The initiative also intends to hold employers accountable if they abuse the H-1B process.
- The Department of Labor will conduct investigations of employers through this project to maximize H-1B program compliance, as authorized by federal law. For this, the Secretary of Labor will personally certify the initiation of investigations – a first for the department.
- This action leverages existing authority that the Secretary has to take action if reasonable cause exists that an H-1B employer is not in compliance, as per the Department of Labor.
- Violations may result in collection of back wages owed to workers who got impacted. There might also be assessment of civil money penalties, and/or debarment from using the H-1B program for a prescribed amount of time.
The department will also share information and coordinate with relevant government agencies, as per law, to fight discrimination against American workers, the statement added.
The Office of Immigration Policy, Employment and Training Administration, and Wage and Hour Division will lead Project Firewall, within the Department of Labor. They will be working in tandem with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services.