Sara Gonzales from BlazeTV has made quite a name for herself in exposing H-1B visa fraud in Texas. Her investigative reporting has led to significant actions: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has halted new H-1B hiring in state agencies and universities, Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued civil investigative demands to around 30 companies in North Texas, and an inspector general from the Labor Department has joined her efforts in Dallas to focus on ghost offices involved in many visa applications.
Recently, Congress has started to take notice.
On an episode of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” she speaks with Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) about a proposed bill intended to impose serious fines on those committing H-1B fraud and on companies that lay off American workers to replace them with cheaper foreign labor.
According to Van Duyne, H-1B fraud has almost turned into its own “industry.”
“It’s like human trafficking,” she explains, detailing how individuals are brought into the country, charged fees, and then left idle while their presence is exploited for profit.
She points out that once in the U.S., many acquire student visas, leading them to become reliant on NGOs, thereby indirectly benefiting from taxpayer funds.
Sara notes that the original idea behind the H-1B visa was for temporary, non-immigrant workers to come in, work, and then return home. It aimed to help U.S. businesses compete globally by attracting top talent that couldn’t be found domestically. Yet, Van Duyne highlights how some companies exploit loopholes by letting go of American employees and opting for foreign workers whom they pay significantly less.
Reforming this has become a priority for Van Duyne and several Texas Republicans.
She mentions that one of their upcoming bills looks to increase penalties significantly since current fines are merely minor inconveniences. “We’re aiming to raise the fines to $100,000, and if a company fires American workers, they could face a further investigation upon applying for H-1B visas—potentially doubling that to $250,000,” Van Duyne states.
Sara expresses strong support for this initiative. “Hit them where it hurts financially,” she remarks, emphasizing that companies have no qualms about impacting American workers negatively. “I sincerely hope you get this pushed through.”
For more insights, check out the full episode above.
