'Our message to Microsoft is...': Vance's big claim

The Trump administration has suspended nine major tech companies from participating in the H-1B visa program, which allows foreign workers to apply for permanent residency in the United States. This decision specifically targets Microsoft, Cognizant, Infosys, Capgemini, Tata, Wipro, and HCL. Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of fraud, stating that for every American worker laid off, the company replaced it with 1.5 foreign workers.

Vance called for Microsoft to hire more American workers, emphasizing that the company cannot lay off its own employees and then hire foreign workers as replacements. The labor certification program, which is meant for situations when there aren't enough US workers available for a job, has reportedly become rife with fraud, according to Vance.

The administration claims that these companies have requested nearly 3 million foreign workers, received over 230,000 H-1B visa approvals, and secured over 100,000 permanent labor certifications since 2009. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced that some of the largest IT firms in the world, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, Adobe, and Microsoft, would be suspended from the Permanent Labor Certification program.

This move is part of a broader crackdown on immigration, including a recent hike in H-1B visa prices that favors Big Tech companies.