Grassley, Durbin Take Aim at Tech, Finance and Retail Sectors for Favoring H-1B Visa Holders over American Workers

Grassley, Durbin Take Aim at Tech, Finance and Retail Sectors for Favoring H-1B Visa Holders over American Workers

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are scrutinizing major corporations for filing thousands of H-1B skilled labor visa petitions after conducting mass layoffs of American employees.

"In evaluating the high unemployment rate for American tech workers, we cannot ignore the massive, ongoing layoffs ordered by you and your peers in Big Tech C-suites over the past few years … At the same time you have been laying off your employees, you have been filing H-1B visa petitions for [thousands of] foreign workers," Grassley and Durbin wrote in letters to 10 major employers in the United States.

"With all of the homegrown American talent relegated to the sidelines, we find it hard to believe that [you] cannot find qualified American tech workers to fill these positions," the lawmakers concluded.

Grassley and Durbin are requesting information and data from each company regarding their recruitment and hiring practices, as well as any variation in salary and benefits between H-1B visa holders and American employees.

The senators' inquiry comes at a time when the unemployment rate in America's tech sector is "well above" the overall jobless rate. According to the Federal Reserve, recent American graduates with STEM degrees now face higher unemployment rates than the general population.

Grassley and Durbin are longtime partners on H-1B visa reform and the lead authors of the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act.

The senators wrote to the following companies, including two which have been, or are currently under investigation for discriminatory H-1B hiring and firing practices:

• Amazon, which laid off tens-of-thousands of employees in recent years, blaming the adoption of generative AI tools.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Amazon applied for and received approval to hire 10,044 foreign H-1B employees.
• Apple, which made at least four rounds of workforce reductions in 2024, laying off hundreds of workers.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Apple applied for and received approval to hire 4,202 foreign H-1B employees.
• Cognizant Technology Solutions, which laid off thousands of workers, including employees in the United States.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Cognizant applied for and received approval to hire 2,493 foreign H-1B employees. In 2024, a federal jury concluded Cognizant favored South Asian H1-B visa holders over American employees, which warranted punitive damages.
• Deloitte, which laid off over a thousand employees in recent years.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Deloitte applied for and received approval to hire 2,353 foreign H-1B employees. In 2024, a Journal of Business Ethics study found Deloitte pays H1-B visa holders 10 percent less than American citizens.
• Google, which laid off tens-of-thousands of employees in recent years - including hundreds of workers in its platform and device unit, and 35 percent of its small team managers - despite enjoying records profits.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Google applied for and received approval to hire 4,181 foreign H1-B employees.
• JPMorgan Chase, which announced this year that it would conduct multiple rounds of layoffs affecting up to a thousand workers, despite enjoying record profits. Last month JPMorgan Chase laid off around 100 employees in its San Francisco office alone, despite reporting $15 billion in second quarter profits.
  • In fiscal year 2025, JPMorgan Chase applied for and received approval to hire 2,440 foreign H-1B employees.
• Meta, which laid off a quarter of its workforce between 2022 and 2023 and labeled it a "year of efficiency." In 2025, Meta laid off 3,600 employees, overshooting its stated goal of laying off another five percent of its workforce.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Meta applied for and received approval to hire 5,123 foreign H-1B employees.
• Microsoft, which laid off 16,000 employees this year alone, despite record revenue and profits. Amid criticism for mass-layoffs, Microsoft characterized its actions as an "enigma of success."
  • In fiscal year 2025, Microsoft applied for and received approval to hire 5,189 foreign H1-B employees.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which recently announced plans to lay off over 12,000 employees, including American staff.
  • In fiscal year 2025, TCS applied for and received approval to hire 5,505 foreign H1-1B employees. TCS is currently under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly firing older American employees in favor of newly hired foreign H-1B visa holders.
• Walmart, which cited "technological changes" when announcing it would terminate 1,500 employees earlier this year.
  • In fiscal year 2025, Walmart applied for and received approval to hire 2,390 foreign H1-B employees.

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