Panel: The Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative

U.S. workers have an advocate at the highest level, but they need the public’s help

By CIS on March 31, 2020

The Center for Immigration Studies hosted a panel discussion Thursday, April 2, on the Justice Department’s “Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative”, which was launched in 2017 to protect the interests of U.S. workers by cracking down on employers who are abusing temporary visa programs to deny U.S. workers job opportunities. The starting point for conversation was a Center report, highlighting the agencies and programs working to ensure that American workers are not being passed over for employment by businesses that are abusing visa programs to bring in cheap labor from abroad.

Report: The Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative

Panel Video: The Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative

Panel Transcript: The Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative

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Andrew Arthur, the Center’s resident fellow in law and policy, said, “With the virtual shutdown of much of the U.S. economy, American workers are hurting, and jobs are scarce. Fortunately, there are agencies targeting, investigating, and bringing enforcement actions against employers who are discriminating against the American worker, and there are procedures by which the public can report fraud and abuse in temporary worker programs. But, the administration can and should do more.”

U.S. workers who believe they have been discriminated against in the workplace as a result of temporary visa fraud or abuse should call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688. Employers who are aware that other businesses are abusing the temporary visa system to the detriment of American workers should call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155.

In addition, U.S. workers who are aware of an employer’s fraud or abuse of one or more of those temporary visa programs, or anyone who is aware of any kind of suspected immigration benefit fraud can contact USCIS using its tip form: https://www.uscis.gov/report-fraud/uscis-tip-form/.

Finally, anyone with information that an employer of H-1B nonimmigrants has committed a violation of the provisions of that program can file a Form WH-4 with the Wage and Hour Division at DOL. Instructions can he found here: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh4.