The Trump administration is warning people who speak out about alleged visa abuse, fraud and worker exploitation not to be intimidated after Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said death threats have been directed at government officials and Americans raising concerns about the issue.
“Death threats are NEVER acceptable—against those of us in government or Americans speaking out about fraud, exploitation and jobs lost through visa abuse. Don’t be intimidated. We’re rolling out resources to support those coming forward,” D’Esposito wrote. The warning comes as the Labor Department ’s Office of Inspector General expands investigations into alleged fraud and exploitation involving foreign-worker visa programs.
D’Esposito issued the warning in a post on X, saying threats against government officials or Americans speaking out about “ fraud , exploitation and jobs lost through visa abuse” are “NEVER acceptable.
On September 18, the Labor Department OIG said investigators had issued dozens of subpoenas and executed search warrants as part of the foreign-labor fraud investigation. The broader investigation is examining allegations involving the use of foreign-worker programs, including possible fraudulent filings and worker exploitation.
The department also said visa applications from Cognizant and Cloudera had been suspended pending the criminal investigation. The OIG has said its work includes investigating potential criminal violations and referring cases to federal prosecutors when warranted. The OIG has said its foreign-labor investigation covers suspected fraud, worker exploitation and potential human trafficking.
