This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
When the Trump White House issued its recent proclamation attaching a $100,000 fee to H-1B petitions, it was billed as a measure to protect American workers. Indeed, the proclamation itself spelled out its pro-American intent in plain terms.
But only days later, federal agencies issued clarifications that narrowed its reach, with the new fee applying only to fresh petitions, leaving existing H-1B holders untouched.
That subtle change, in turn, sparked a reaction overseas most wouldn't expect.
India's Economic Times trumpeted the headline "As White House issues clarification, door opens for laid-off H-1B techies," celebrating the clarifications as a practical win for thousands of foreign workers recently caught up in U.S. tech layoffs.
The article noted that more than 145,000 workers have already been laid off this year by major U.S. tech firms, a wave of cuts they claim hit H-1B visa holders especially hard. For those workers, the clarification offers an easier path to latch onto a new employer, sparing them both the $100,000 fee and the risk of having to enter another visa lottery.
By casting the White House clarifications as a lifeline, they boasted that employers now had every reason to tap into this "ready pool of talent" at minimal cost – and free from any new restrictions.
Meanwhile, Americans who have seen their jobs shipped overseas or handed to contractors and visa holders view the situation very differently. The issue isn't the proclamation's stated intent, but the way its implementation preserves business as usual. The administration openly admitted that H-1B workers have displaced Americans, yet the carve-out exempts those very workers from the penalty meant to stop the abuse.
Instead of deterring corporations from gaming the system, the clarification shields the existing crop of H-1Bs, allowing them to maintain their foothold in the labor market while U.S. citizens remain sidelined.
Since the new rules punish only future entrants, the problem of massive foreign workers depressing Americans' wages and hollowing out the nation's middle class continues.
