H-1B Visas in Jeopardy? Walmart Caught in Storm Over Indian Tech Workers

U.S. Senator Mike Lee has questioned whether America should pause issuing H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers. “Is it time to pause H-1B visas?” the Utah senator wrote on X, reacting to online claims that Walmart was bribed to hire Indian tech workers while replacing American employees, media reports said.

Senator Mike Lee, Greene Want Halt on H-1B Visas

The comments came shortly after far-right Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene also demanded a halt on H-1B visas for Indians. Greene argued that Indian workers were “replacing American jobs.” She made the remarks in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that he may increase taxes on Indian goods and services because of India’s purchase of Russian oil. On X, Greene posted: “End Indian H-1B visas to replace American jobs and stop sending money and weapons to the Obama/Biden/Neocon Ukraine-Russia war.”

The discussion gained traction after unverified rumours surfaced on workplace discussion site Blind. A user claimed a “massive fraud” inside Walmart, alleging that an official had fired U.S. IT workers while taking bribes to hire Indian H-1B visa holders. These claims were widely shared online but remain unproven, reports added.

Walmart Defends Company’s Policies Amid Intense Scrutiny of Indian Tech Workers

Walmart later clarified that it had recently fired one vendor and a few U.S.-based workers after an internal investigation, but said the matter was unrelated to H-1B visas.

Lee’s post added fuel to growing criticism of the visa system. The issue comes at a time when speculation is rising that Trump may target H-1B visas in his political campaign. The system allows thousands of Indian IT engineers to work in the U.S., and critics argue it disadvantages American workers during a period of heavy layoffs.

Currently, Indians account for more than 70% of all H-1B visas, while around 12% go to Chinese citizens, said reports.

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