- Amazon: Approximately 27,150 employees laid off.
- Google (Alphabet): Around 12,000 employees affected.
- Meta (formerly Facebook): Nearly 21,000 employees impacted, with earlier reports suggesting that prior layoffs at Meta and even Twitter significantly affected H-1B holders.
- Microsoft: About 10,000 employees laid off.
- Intel: Reported to have cut roughly 15,000 jobs.
- IBM: Approximately 3,900 layoffs.
- Cisco: Impacted around 4,100 employees.
- Other Companies: Tesla, and Nvidia have also announced layoffs, though details on their impact on H-1B workers are less clear.
It’s not just a legal obligation for these companies to cover repatriation costs; it’s a moral one too. These organizations were instrumental in bringing these employees into the United States.
A seasoned immigration attorney, Jane Lombardo, notes, “When companies fail to meet their legal obligations regarding return transportation, it exacerbates the broader issue of visa overstays. There’s a cascading effect on the integrity of our immigration system.”
Her insights resonate with the growing outcry from both the affected workers and advocacy groups who believe that these companies must be held accountable for their role in creating this predicament.
One of the most alarming aspects of this issue is the opacity with which these companies handle layoffs. There is a significant lack of transparency regarding the actual expenditure on repatriation efforts—a fact that not only undermines public trust but also raises questions about corporate accountability.
For instance, Meta, despite having been one of the tech giants that most leveraged the H-1B program, has not disclosed any concrete data on the amount they have spent to assist laid-off workers in returning home.
During a recent conversation with Dr. Robert Garcia, a prominent immigration law expert, he emphasized the urgency of this issue. ‘Tech companies have a dual responsibility,’ he explained. “Not only do they facilitate the entry of these workers into the U.S., but they also bear the legal and moral responsibility to ensure these individuals are not left stranded when their employment is terminated, nor left to their own devices regarding self-deportation.”
When companies do not fulfill their legal obligations, it creates a loophole that can lead to increased visa overstays. This, in turn, complicates the work of agencies like ICE, which must then track and manage individuals who have overstayed their visas, thereby straining limited resources.
Moreover, there is a growing concern among policymakers and immigration experts that the current practices may inadvertently encourage visa abuse. If companies are not held accountable for ensuring a proper exit for laid-off workers, it could set a dangerous precedent for future visa programs and undermine the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.
At this juncture, it is clear that the onus is on tech giants like Meta, Google, and Microsoft to step up and demonstrate that they are not only leaders in innovation but also in ethical business practices. These companies must:
