US Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin are taking a strong stance against the H-1B visa program, targeting top US corporations, including Amazon, Apple, and Google, among others. The Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman and Ranking Member have written letters to 10 major US employers, expressing concern over the practice of filing thousands of H-1B skilled visa petitions after significant layoffs of American workers. The lawmakers argue that US companies are replacing American workers with low-skilled foreign workers at lower wages, which is at the center of the controversy surrounding the H-1B visa program.
The letters, addressed to the CEOs of these companies, highlight rising unemployment among tech workers and recent STEM graduates, citing large-scale layoffs directed by company leaders in recent years. The lawmakers have asked the companies to respond by October 10, providing answers to specific questions related to their hiring practices and use of H-1B visas. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), an Indian company, is among the recipients of the letter, and the lawmakers have expressed particular concern over TCS’s practice of laying off American employees while filing H-1B visa petitions for thousands of foreign workers.
The letter to TCS reads, in part, “With all of the homegrown American talent relegated to the sidelines, we find it hard to believe that TCS cannot find qualified American tech workers to fill these positions.” The lawmakers have asked TCS to explain its hiring practices, including why it is hiring foreign tech workers when hundreds of thousands of American tech workers have been laid off over the past few years. They have also asked TCS to provide data on its H-1B hires, including salary and benefits information, and to disclose whether the company outsources any hiring to contractors or staffing firms that place H-1B workers within the organization.
The questions asked by the lawmakers include:
* Why is TCS hiring foreign tech workers when hundreds of thousands of American tech workers have been laid off over the past few years?
* Does TCS make a good faith effort to fill open positions with Americans before filing H-1B petitions?
* Does TCS hide H-1B recruitment ads by listing them separately from general hiring ads?
* Has TCS displaced any American employees with H-1B employees?
* Are H-1B hires provided the same salary and benefits as American workers with the same qualifications?
The lawmakers are seeking detailed answers to these questions, along with accompanying data, by October 10, 2025. The investigation is part of a broader effort to scrutinize the use of H-1B visas by US companies and to ensure that American workers are not being replaced by foreign workers at lower wages.