The U.S. Department of Labor has released a new video asserting that the H-1B visa program has been misused by companies to replace American workers with foreign labor — prominently spotlighting India, which it says accounts for 72% of all H-1B visa holders.
The 52-second clip, posted on the department’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on October 30, portrays the H-1B system as a vehicle for “stealing the American dream.” A pie chart featured in the video shows India dominating the visa share, while a narrator declares:
The video, which appears to be part of President Donald Trump’s “Project Firewall” initiative, claims the administration is holding companies accountable for visa abuse and prioritizing American citizens in hiring. It concludes with the slogan: “Recapturing the American dream for American people.
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields such as technology and engineering. Indian nationals have long dominated the program, particularly in the tech sector, where companies rely on highly skilled engineers from India to fill roles amid domestic talent shortages.
Critics of the video argue that it unfairly targets foreign workers and could further strain U.S.-India relations. Industry experts warn that such messaging risks politicizing a visa category vital to America’s innovation economy, where Indian professionals have been key contributors.
The Department of Labor’s framing of the issue comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to tighten immigration and employment regulations. Supporters of the campaign say it aims to “protect American jobs,” while opponents view it as a populist move that fuels xenophobia and misrepresents the economic benefits of skilled immigration.
The video’s explicit reference to India and its high share of H-1B holders underscores the central role Indian workers play in the U.S. tech workforce — and highlights the growing political tension between economic nationalism and global labor mobility in America’s immigration debate.
