U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), both leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have initiated an inquiry into several major corporations regarding their use of the H-1B visa program following significant layoffs of American workers.
The senators sent letters to ten companies requesting detailed information about their hiring practices, including any differences in pay and benefits between H-1B visa holders and 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,” wrote Durbin and Grassley.
“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,” concluded Durbin and Grassley.
Durbin and Grassley have a history of working together on H-1B visa reform. They are principal authors of bipartisan legislation first introduced in 2007 aimed at reducing fraud in immigration programs, protecting both U.S. workers and visa holders, and increasing transparency in foreign worker recruitment.
The inquiry comes as unemployment rates among recent STEM graduates are higher than those for the general population, according to data from the Federal Reserve.
Among the companies addressed were Amazon, Apple, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Deloitte, Google, JPMorgan Chase, Meta, Microsoft, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Walmart. These firms have collectively laid off thousands of employees while continuing to hire large numbers of foreign workers through the H-1B program. For example:
Amazon laid off tens-of-thousands but was approved for 10,044 H-1B hires in fiscal year 2025.
Apple reduced its workforce multiple times yet received approval for 4,202 H-1B hires.
Cognizant let go thousands—including U.S.-based staff—and was approved for 2,493 H-1B hires; a federal jury found Cognizant favored South Asian visa holders over Americans.
Deloitte laid off over a thousand employees while being approved for 2,353 H-1B hires; research showed Deloitte pays H-1B holders less than citizens.
Google conducted mass layoffs but secured approval for 4,181 new H-1B employees.
JPMorgan Chase announced several rounds of layoffs despite record profits and was approved for 2,440 H-1B hires.
Meta cut a quarter of its workforce between 2022–2023 but was approved for 5,123 new H-1Bs.
Microsoft laid off 16,000 people this year while receiving approval for 5,189 foreign hires.
Tata Consultancy Services planned more than 12,000 layoffs—including Americans—while being investigated by federal authorities; TCS was approved for 5,505 new visas.
Walmart terminated over a thousand jobs due to “technological changes” but received approval for 2,390 new H-1Bs.
