The Trump administration has launched a sweeping investigation into potential abuses of the H-1B visa programme, marking the latest in a series of moves to tighten U.S. immigration and labour policies.

According to Fox News, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has opened at least 175 active investigations under a new enforcement drive called “Project Firewall”, targeting companies suspected of misusing the visa system that allows U.S. firms to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields such as information technology, engineering, and healthcare.

“The Department of Labor is using every resource at our disposal to stop H-1B abuse and protect American jobs,” DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a post on X. “Under the leadership of @POTUS, we’ll continue to invest in our workforce and ensure high-skilled job opportunities go to American workers first.”

The White House amplified the announcement, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “Trump administration reveals over 100 investigations into H-1B abuses as it pledges ‘every resource’ to protect U.S. jobs.”

The initiative follows several recent steps taken by the administration and Republican lawmakers to tighten oversight of the H-1B visa programme, long a flashpoint in debates over outsourcing and immigration.

In September, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications, claiming it would curb misuse and prioritize domestic workers.

In October, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directed the state’s universities to phase out the use of H-1B visas, arguing that positions held by foreign workers should go to Florida residents. “Why are we bringing people in on H-1Bs when our own citizens can fill those roles?” DeSantis said, calling the system “cheap labour.”

However, the administration’s approach has triggered legal challenges and criticism from lawmakers. On October 30, five U.S. Congress members — Ami Bera, Salud Carbajal, Derek Tran, and Julie Johnson among them — urged Trump to reconsider his visa proclamation, warning of its “potentially negative impact” on India-U.S. relations.

They noted that many of America’s leading technology firms were founded or led by former H-1B holders, whose innovation has fueled U.S. economic and technological growth.

India-born professionals continue to dominate the H-1B pool, receiving over 70% of total approvals in 2024, reflecting both a skilled talent pipeline and persistent backlogs in U.S. immigration processing.