Twenty Democratic attorneys general just sued to block Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.
Their argument? American employers desperately need “highly skilled” foreign workers. There’s a labor shortage. Universities can’t function without imported talent.
American tech workers who can’t find jobs have a response to that claim:
“That’s total bullshit.”
Meet the working-class Americans the Democratic Party left behind — and watch them explain exactly why they’re done with the “party of labor.”
The Cybersecurity Professional Who Can’t Get Hired
John works in cybersecurity in the Seattle area. Or at least, he’s trying to.
He’s been struggling to land a job for a year. A year. In one of America’s tech capitals. With skills that are supposedly in “critical shortage.”
His response to the Democratic lawsuit?
“This is liberal states itching to ‘stand up to Trump,’ married by convenience to the Indian lobby and Big Business.”
The Democrats claim universities face labor shortages. John says that’s “crap” and that American citizens could “easily” be hired for these positions.
But American citizens cost more. They have expectations. They can’t be sponsored and controlled the way visa holders can.
So companies import cheaper labor and Democrats sue to protect the pipeline.
“The Democratic Party Is Not the Party of Labor”
Kevin Lynn founded U.S. Tech Workers, an advocacy group for Americans displaced by foreign labor. He’s been watching this play out for years.
His assessment of Democrats claiming employers verify that foreign workers don’t hurt American wages:
“That’s total bullshit.”
Lynn explained how the “verification” actually works:
“Imagine you’re at the Department of Labor and you get over a quarter million Labor Condition Applications, and at the same time, according to the statute, you have only seven days to view that application. All they have time to do is make sure the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed.”
There’s no real evaluation. No actual check that Americans aren’t being displaced. Just paperwork processed on a deadline.
“This definitely tells you the Democratic Party is not the party of labor,” Lynn said. “It’s obvious that the wealthy donor class are represented now by the Democratic Party.”
The Numbers Democrats Don’t Want You to See
Let’s look at who actually gets these visas.
India accounts for 72% of all H-1B recipients. Tech companies use nearly 70% of all H-1B petitions. The program is capped at 85,000 new visas annually — but there’s a lottery because demand from employers far exceeds the cap.
Why are employers so eager to use this program? The official answer is “highly specialized skills.”
The real answer is cheaper, more controllable labor.
H-1B workers are tied to their sponsoring employer. They can’t easily switch jobs. They can’t negotiate aggressively. They can’t push back on working conditions without risking their immigration status.
For employers, that’s not a bug. It’s the feature.
“Corporate Donors Versus the Worker Class”
Joseph is another tech worker struggling to find employment. He sees the lawsuit for what it is:
“This is about the corporate donor class versus the worker class. Corporate donors, the large billionaires and millionaires and people making a lot of money off globalization, don’t want it to end.”
He continued: “These corporations buy these politicians to bring in this cheap foreign labor, illegal and legal, to depress American wages. It’s a worker issue, not a MAGA issue.”
That last point matters. This isn’t about politics for these workers. It’s about survival.
They’re not looking for handouts. They’re not asking for special treatment. They just want a chance to compete fairly for jobs in their own country.
Democrats are suing to make sure that never happens.
The Chamber of Commerce and Democrats — United Against Workers
Notice who’s aligned against Trump’s H-1B fee.
Twenty Democratic attorneys general. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Elite universities. Big Tech.
On the other side: American workers who can’t find jobs.
The Chamber of Commerce — representing hundreds of thousands of employers — sued over the proclamation in October. They argue the $100,000 fee makes it “cost-prohibitive” for companies to utilize foreign labor.
That’s the point. If you can find an American to do the job, hire the American. The fee is supposed to ensure companies only import foreign workers when genuinely necessary.
But corporations don’t want “genuinely necessary.” They want cheap and controllable. And Democrats are going to court to protect that interest.
The Worker Who Left Tech Entirely
Riley didn’t just struggle to find tech work. He left the industry completely out of frustration.
His assessment of the H-1B program:
“The H-1B program was created in order to cheapen the value of tech labor. We’ve never had a shortage of tech labor in the United States, and so I don’t see the program continuing to be a good thing.”
Never had a shortage. Think about that.
Every time you hear “labor shortage” from a corporate spokesperson or Democratic attorney general, remember: American workers who actually work in these industries say there’s no shortage.
What there is: A shortage of workers willing to accept suppressed wages and poor conditions. A shortage of workers who can’t fight back. A shortage of workers corporations can control.
H-1B solves all those “shortages” — for employers.
Sean O’Brien and the Changing Political Landscape
The tech workers interviewed cited Teamsters president Sean O’Brien’s speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention as a pivotal moment.
The largest labor union on the continent. Its president addressing the GOP convention. Historical.
O’Brien has since forged closer ties with national Republicans. And working-class Americans are following.
“It’s a worker issue, not a MAGA issue,” Joseph emphasized.
Democrats used to be the party of working people. Now they’re the party of corporate donors who profit from cheap labor — legal and illegal.
Working Americans noticed the switch. They’re switching too.
Trump’s Response: Make It Cost Something
Trump’s $100,000 fee doesn’t ban H-1B visas. It makes them expensive.
If a company genuinely can’t find an American worker with the required skills, $100,000 is a cost of doing business. They’ll pay it.
But if a company is using H-1B to save money on labor — if an American could do the job but costs more — the fee changes the calculation.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers explained:
“President Trump promised to put American workers first, and his commonsense action on H-1B visas does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down American wages.”
Companies that need specialized talent can still get it. Companies looking for cheap labor will have to look elsewhere — like the American workforce.
The Workers Who Spoke Up Are Afraid
Here’s a telling detail from the Daily Caller report:
All five tech workers who spoke wanted to remain anonymous “out of fear of reprisal from potential employers.”
Think about that. American citizens are afraid to publicly advocate for American workers because it might hurt their job prospects.
That’s how captured the system is. Speaking up for Americans makes you unhireable. Silence is the price of employment.
These workers risked even anonymous interviews to tell their story. They’re that frustrated. That desperate. That fed up.
Democrats Made Their Choice
Twenty state attorneys general could have sued over anything. They could have fought for workers’ rights, consumer protection, environmental causes.
They chose to fight for cheaper foreign labor.
That tells you everything about who the Democratic Party represents in 2025.
Not the tech worker in Seattle who can’t get hired. Not the programmer who left the industry in frustration. Not the cybersecurity professional stuck in a year-long job search.
The corporate donor class. Big Tech. Elite universities. The people who profit when American wages go down.
“The Democratic Party is not the party of labor.”
American workers figured that out. The rest of the country is catching on.