Indians, H-1Bs 'stole' American Dream from young Americans: Trump admin

The Labour Department's Project Firewall revives Trump's 'America First' rhetoric, alleging that US firms are replacing young Americans with foreign H-1B workers, mostly from India

Amid a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, the Trump administration’s Department of Labor has accused businesses of exploiting the H-1B visa programme by replacing young Americans with foreign workers, pointing directly to India as the biggest beneficiary of the system.

 

“Young Americans have had the American Dream stolen from them, as jobs have been replaced by foreign workers due to rampant abuse of the H-1B visa,” the department said in a post accompanying its new campaign video on social media.

 

The 51-second clip draws a sharp contrast between black-and-white images of post-war prosperity — suburban homes, busy factories, smiling families — and present-day visuals of office workers, alleging that “Indians receive 72 per cent of H-1B visa applications.”

 

 

“For generations, we’ve told Americans that if they work hard enough, they can achieve the American Dream. But many young Americans have had this dream stolen from them,” the video’s narrator says, as text on screen hails President Donald Trump and Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer for “putting America first.” 

Young Americans have had the American Dream stolen from them, as jobs have been replaced by foreign workers due to rampant abuse of the H-1B visa.  Under @POTUS and @SecretaryLCD’s leadership, we’re holding companies accountable for their abuse—and recapturing the American Dream… pic.twitter.com/x3lqJS9CyG

— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) October 30, 2025

 

What is Project Firewall and why is it controversial?

 

In September 2025, the Labour Department launched “Project Firewall,” a programme to investigate whether companies have been hiring lower-paid foreign workers, particularly through the H-1B route, to fill tech and engineering jobs at the expense of US citizens.

 

The department said the initiative would “hold companies accountable for their abuse and recapture the American Dream for the American people.”

 

Officials said Project Firewall would involve detailed audits of firms suspected of underpaying or displacing Americans through H-1B recruitment.

 

Are the H-1B figures being misrepresented?

 

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal questioned the claim that the H-1B system has robbed Americans of opportunities. “In August 2025, the number of employed persons in the US was approximately 163.4 million, with total nonfarm payroll employment at 159.54 million. The US labour force reached a record high of 170.7 million civilians in January 2025. There are an estimated 730,000 H-1B workers in the US. How can the American Dream be stolen by a small number of talented H-1B workers?” he asked.

 

Another user on X wrote, “750,000 H-1B professionals work legally in the US… most have been here for decades, pay taxes, and have US-born kids. That’s about 0.2 per cent of America’s 350 million people. This issue has somehow become so inflated that the Department of Labor is making promo videos about it. Don’t they have more important work to do?”

 

How does the campaign tie into Trump’s broader jobs agenda?

 

The Department of Labor’s latest campaign signals a renewed emphasis on domestic employment, stricter visa oversight, and a reassertion of Trump’s “America First” jobs agenda.

 

Project Firewall, officials added, will ensure that companies hiring foreign workers through the H-1B route meet wage standards and comply with regulations meant to prioritise Americans during recruitment.

 

The video ends with the message: “We’re reclaiming the American Dream for the American people.”