Senator Mike Lee questioned continuation of H-1B visas after unverified claims of fraud at Walmart involving Indian tech workers.
Days earlier, Marjorie Taylor Greene demanded an end to Indian H-1B visas, accusing them of “replacing American jobs.”
Walmart said its internal probe found no link between recent dismissals and H-1B hiring; over 70% of such visas go to Indians.
U.S. Senator Mike Lee questioned issuing row H-1B visas to skilled foreign workers, asking: "Is it time to pause H1-B visas?"
In reaction to claims that Walmart was receiving large bribes to hire Indian tech workers while getting "rid of" American tech workers, the senator from Utah made the statement.
According to Hinsutan Times, days before Lee's statement, far-right Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene proposed halting the issuance of H-1B visas to Indians they are "replacing American jobs." In response to a media post by US President Donald Trump threatening to increase taxes on Indian goods and services due to their purchase of Russian oil, the far-right Republican was taking action.
“End Indian H-1B visas to replace American jobs and stop sending money and weapons to the Obama/Biden/Neocon Ukraine Russia war,” Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X.
Unverified rumours of a scandal involving H-1B visa holders working for Walmart prompted Mike Lee to propose a halt on H-1B visas.
A contributor on the workplace discussion site Blind claimed that a "massive fraud" had occurred inside Walmart, sparking the start of the rurumours A Walmart official was allegedly firing American IT workers and taking "huge bribes" to hire Indian H1-B tech workers, according to social network names.
Walmart clarified that it has recently fired one vendor and a few workers based in the United States after conducting an inquiry. H1B visas were unrelated to this study.
"Is it time to pause H1-B visas?" Lee said when sharing the post on X.
The recent comments against the H-1B visa system coincide with rurumourshat Trump may attack the system, which permits Indian IT engineers to work in the US, next.
In the midst of significant layoffs, Trump's Make America Great Again Supporters (MAGA) have recently been leading a digital campaign in which they accuse foreign workers—particularly Indians—of denying American workers their jobs.
More than 70 per cent of H-1B visas are granted to Indian citizens, with about 12 per cent going to Chinese applicants.
