Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) say that the Department of Labor has launched an investigation into alleged abuses of the H-1B guest worker program.
According to Durbin and Sessions, the DOL has opened investigations into Infosys and Tata — two foreign companies that have brought guest workers on H-1B visas into the United States to replace American workers.
“We’re pleased to hear that the Labor Department is taking a first step to stanch this tide of visa abuse. A number of U.S. employers, including some large, well-known, publicly-traded corporations, have laid off thousands of American workers and replaced them with H-1B visa holders,” Durbin and Sessions said in a joint statement.
News of the Department of Labor’s investigation comes months after Durbin and Sessions led a bipartisan group of ten senators in calling for a federal investigation into the H-1B visa program.
“To add insult to injury, many of the replaced American employees report that they have been forced to train the foreign workers who are taking their jobs. That’s just plain wrong and we’ll continue to press the Administration to help solve this problem. We look forward to the outcome of the Labor Department’s investigation,” the Senators added in their joint statement.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), David Vitter (R-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) all signed the initial letters to the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice calling for an investigation.