Hundreds of Indian visa workers are being fired and losing their U.S. work permits in a sweeping crackdown that’s shaking up corporate America and sending shockwaves through D.C. and Silicon Valley. Under the Trump administration, federal agencies and major companies are beginning to unwind years of unchecked white-collar visa abuse—and the impact is already massive.
At Apple and Fannie Mae, dozens of Indian-origin employees have been dismissed amid internal fraud probes. Fannie Mae’s chairman, William Pulte, confirmed more than 100 firings linked to “unethical conduct, including facilitating fraud.” Many of those employees are reportedly connected to ethnic networks like the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), which is now under scrutiny for coordinating efforts that may have involved misuse of corporate grants and nonprofit donations.
Apple faced similar issues. According to Santa Clara prosecutors, some Indian and Chinese employees scammed the company’s charitable gift-matching program by funneling fake donations through ethnic nonprofits and then pocketing the matched funds. The scheme allegedly cost Apple and taxpayers over $250,000.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is revoking the work permits of thousands of Indian and Chinese migrants whose employment authorizations were originally granted through programs like OPT and CPT. These permits were supposed to allow international students to work temporarily in the U.S., but abuses—ranging from DUI convictions to fraudulent charity donations—have led to disqualifications, leaving visa holders suddenly jobless and facing deportation.
Migrants and pro-immigration lawmakers are pushing back hard. Indian-American Congressmen Suhas Subramanyam, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Shri Thanedar have written to federal agencies demanding explanations and seeking to reinstate fired workers. Their complaint centers on claims that employees were terminated without adequate investigations—though Fannie Mae maintains the actions were justified.
This turmoil follows another major shakeup: Citigroup’s March decision to slash reliance on foreign contractors after a $600 million operational disaster. That announcement included plans to bring 10,000 high-paying tech jobs back to Americans—jobs previously held by H-1B workers, many from India.
Immigration reformers see this as a breakthrough moment. Kevin Lynn, head of U.S. Tech Workers, says the tide is finally turning against what he calls legalized displacement of American talent.
“There are reasons to be optimistic,” Lynn said. “But this is the time to be aggressive. Visa abuse has gutted wages, buried innovation, and empowered corporate execs to replace Americans with cheaper foreign labor. That era must end.”
Trump appears to agree. His administration is now backing lawsuits against companies accused of discriminating against American workers in favor of foreign-born employees on H-1B visas. Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest IT firm, is under federal investigation for allegedly laying off non-Indian professionals while shielding Indian visa holders. Similar charges were upheld in court against Cognizant Technology Solutions.
The Department of Justice is also signaling it won’t tolerate visa fraud. In April, companies began receiving requests from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asking for biometric data from foreign workers applying for green cards or H-1B extensions—suggesting a deeper review of past records and a possible policy shift.
For years, Americans have watched elite firms lay off experienced workers while replacing them with imported labor trained to do more for less. Now, with new enforcement and a president willing to act, that imbalance is being addressed.
It’s not just white-collar migrants who are under the microscope. In Ohio, an Indian national was sentenced to nearly eight years for running a phone scam targeting elderly Americans. The scam was reportedly enabled by access to private U.S. data outsourced to Indian call centers—highlighting broader risks tied to overseas outsourcing.
From fraud to visa loopholes to racial discrimination lawsuits, it’s all adding up. The Trump administration’s message is clear: the days of open-season for white-collar immigration abuse are over.
Corporate America is on notice. And for the first time in decades, American professionals are back in the driver’s seat.
