US senator backs Trump on H-1B reforms, vows new bills as Project Firewall launches

US Senator Tom Cotton on Friday threw his weight behind President Donald Trump’s push to overhaul the H-1B visa program, announcing plans to introduce legislation that he said would “put American workers first.” His remarks came as the Department of Labour launched Project Firewall, a sweeping enforcement initiative to crack down on H-1B visa abuse.

On X, Cotton wrote, “President Trump and @SecretaryLCD are absolutely right that the H-1B program needs reforms. Next week I’m introducing two bills that will bring badly needed changes to this program and put American workers first.”

His comments followed the Labour Department’s rollout of Project Firewall, which Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer described as one of the most aggressive oversight efforts in the program’s history. “By taking action to reform H-1B programs, @POTUS is protecting our workers and ensuring jobs go to Americans first,” she said.

Project Firewall: What It Means

The new initiative shifts the enforcement model beyond complaints to proactive investigations of employers suspected of misusing H-1B visas. For the first time, the Labour Secretary will personally certify such probes.

Key measures include requiring employers to pay H-1B workers prevailing local wages or the same pay as comparable US employees, ensuring equal benefits for visa holders, and in some cases mandating proof that companies made “good faith” efforts to recruit American workers before turning to the program.

Violating employers may face back wage orders, civil fines, or bans from the program. The Labour Department also pledged coordination with the Justice Department, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services to strengthen enforcement.

“Launching Project Firewall will help us ensure no employers are abusing H-1B visas at the expense of our workforce. By rooting out fraud and abuse, the Department of Labour and our federal partners will ensure that highly skilled jobs go to Americans first,” Chavez-DeRemer said.