Rep. Rich McCormick asks Trump administration to probe suspected H-1B fraud around Atlanta

Mixed · 2Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican who represents Georgia's 7th Congressional District, wrote to the Trump administration on Tuesday 6 October asking for an investigation into alleged abuse of the H-1B work visa program in the Atlanta area. 1 2 Right · 1In the letter, McCormick called his district a "suspected hotspot of this fraud" and offered himself as "an interlocutor to help enable cooperation with state-level agencies and law enforcement." 1 Mixed · 2He wrote that the program, created by the Immigration Act of 1990, had become "the subject of rampant fraud and abuse", with bad actors obtaining labor they can exploit with below-market wages and abusive conditions because H-1B holders depend on their employer to avoid removal. 1 2

Mixed · 2McCormick also wrote that the alleged fraud undercuts wages and increases competition for American workers, particularly recent college graduates, and that bad actors use illicit methods "at scale" while keeping to "the most threadbare compliance with the letter of the law." 1 2 Right · 1Fox News reported that McCormick said his suspicions came from "stakeholder engagement, reports from my constituents, and recent federal investigation and enforcement activity targeting entities in and around GA-07". He did not name specific businesses or people, and said metro Atlanta's economic growth and international airport make it "a logical area of concentration" for such actors. 1 Mixed · 2The district takes in part of the Atlanta metro area, including northern suburbs and part of Fulton County. Fox News noted that Fulton's top prosecutor, Fani Willis, has been under heavy Republican scrutiny, while Hindustan Times described the county as a Democratic stronghold. 1 2

Centre · 1Hindustan Times said the push comes as McCormick seeks to defend his House seat in the November 2026 midterm elections. 2 Mixed · 2Both outlets say the Trump administration launched a nationwide probe of suspected H-1B visa fraud in July. Hindustan Times reports that in August, Department of Labor investigators checked companies in Dallas with hundreds of approved H-1B petitions, and an Inspector General press release said inactive businesses with over 500 approved applications were found. 1 2 Mixed · 2The program is also politically contested. Vice President JD Vance, who on 2 October called the system "completely broken" and said he would support eliminating it, is cited as a critic, while Fox News says supporters such as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy argue it is critical for attracting global talent. 2 1