US Department of Labor Inspector Anthony D'Esposito has announced an extensive investigation into alleged H-1B and PERM visa fraud, issuing dozens of subpoenas as investigators look into possible human trafficking.
The Trump administration is ramping up immigration fraud, launching its first major investigation into alleged abuse of H-1B and PERM visas, labor trafficking, and the deportation of American workers, Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito told FOX Business on Wednesday.
“This is another example of fraud fueling violent crime,” he said. “A lot of the visa and human trafficking that we see when it comes to foreign workers is tied to gangs, tied to international gangs, and this is the work we should be doing, not just to make America safe again, but to make America affordable again.”
D'Esposito said investigators have already begun issuing a number of complaints regarding the fraud investigation.
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Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony P. D'Esposito speaks to the media at a news conference about an alleged fraud scheme involving SNAP benefits, in Boston, Massachusetts, Feb. 3, 2026. (Reuters Photos/Taylor Coester / Reuters)
The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant work visa that allows US companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers in specialized jobs for an initial period of three years, which can be extended to six years.
“These are not just factory workers or real workers,” D'Esposito said of the fraudsters. “These are people who work in medical facilities and doctors' offices who are actually putting people at risk.”
President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter before signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on September 19, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photos by Andrew Harnik/Getty/Getty)
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By far, the industry with the largest use of H-1B visas is the technology industry, which has accounted for about 60 to 70 percent of all new applications in recent years. Other top industries include consulting and professional services, engineering and manufacturing, health care and medical research and higher education.
View of the United States Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, DC (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images, File / Getty Images)
California, New York and Illinois are among the top five states for applicants for these visas, according to D'Esposito.
He said the Trump administration's goal is to ensure that hard-working Americans “don't see their jobs taken by immigrants or people who play the game or benefit financially by bringing these people to America and putting them in jobs that, frankly, they're not qualified to do.”
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Last month, a federal judge struck down the President Donald Trump's A $100,000 fee requirement for employers seeking H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, ruling that the administration is overstepping its authority by imposing a tax rate that can only be authorized or passed by Congress.
Fox News Digital's Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
