PROJECT FIREWALL is an H-1B enforcement initiative that requires employers to prioritize qualified Americans when hiring workers and holds employers accountable for abusing the H-1B visa process. The purpose of PROJECT FIREWALL is to safeguard the rights, wages, and job opportunities of Americans while rooting out fraud and abuse that may occur in the H-1B visa system. The US Department of Labor (DOL) and several federal agency partners are working together to enforce current US labor and immigration laws.

On November 25, 2025, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) highlighted its partnership with DOL to combat illegal national-origin discrimination against all workers, including American workers. National origin discrimination is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC defines national origin discrimination as treating job applicants and workers differently (favorably or unfavorably) based on where they are from, their accent, or their appearance (ethnic stereotyping), and as including preferring foreign workers, with or without a particular visa status, over American workers.

Employers need to ensure that job advertisements, pay structures, and employee benefits do not create disparate treatment between applicants and workers with different national origins. Employees and job applicants who believe they are victims of national origin discrimination can file an online complaint with the EEOC, DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, or the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Employees and job applicants who believe an employer has abused the visa procurement process can contact USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate via USCIS’s online tip form.

The US Secretary of Labor will certify the initiation of investigations against employers with credible complaints of national origin discrimination. The investigations will delve heavily into wage compliance, recruitment practices, and the displacement of American workers. Employers found in violation of the US labor and immigration laws face the possibility of paying affected employees and applicants back wages, civil monetary penalties, and/or debarment from future use of the H-1B visa program for a period of time.

Employers with questions regarding hiring practices, employment policies, and utilizing the USCIS visa process should contact a BridgehouseLaw attorney for additional information specific to their situation.