Donald Trump’s ally Laura Loomer called for restrictions on H-1B visas after the US banned Indian travel agents accused of illegal migration.Loomer, a vocal critic of immigrant employment, posted on X: “Let’s go. Now do the H1B visas. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter!”Her remarks come after the US government implemented visa restrictions on travel agencies, including their owners, executives and senior officials linked to illegal immigration.The H-1B programme, which allows US firms to hire highly skilled foreign workers, has once again come under fire, especially from MAGA supporters and tech workers, who argue it threatens American jobs and contradicts Trump’s “America First” promise.“We are working closely with our consular teams in India to identify and take action against individuals involved in promoting unauthorised migration to the United States,” the US Department of State in a statement.For the fiscal year 2026, 120,141 H-1B visa applications were selected. This number is the lowest since 2021, mainly due to higher fees causing a drop in registrations.US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 3,43,981 eligible H-1B cap registrations for the 2026 fiscal (ending Sept 30, 2026) of which 7,828 were for beneficiaries with multiple registrations.The registration period was open from March 7 up to March 24. Eligible registrations for the 2025 fiscal were 4,70,342, of which 47,314 were for beneficiaries with multiple registrations.Indian beneficiaries typically comprise nearly 60% of new registrations. The number of eligible registrations decreased 27% year-over-year, whilst multiple-registration (those having more than one job offer)beneficiaries dropped 83%.However, this is not due to lack of appetite for H-1B workers. USCIS said, “We believe the decreased numbers indicate fraud investigations and beneficiary-centric selection process have been effective integrity measures.”In April, the US Embassy in India had cancelled 2,000 visa appointments citing fraud. The latest restrictions build on that, targeting travel agencies involved in illegal migration schemes. MAGA supporters praised this action, requesting similar measures for H-1B visa programmes.
