On Monday, September 22, Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) and the Communication Workers of America (CWA) held a rally in front of Google’s headquarters at 550 Washington Street in downtown Manhattan, New York to protest against a new executive order signed by President Trump concerning the H-1B visa program. The protesters urged Google to use its powerful platform to advocate for its employees. Several H-1B holders and applicants from various industries also voiced their dissatisfaction with the US government’s arbitrary policies.
H-1B is a work visa that allows US companies to hire foreign workers with specific expertise and is one of the rare visas that can transition from non-immigrant to immigrant status, making it a common pathway for international students and professionals to apply for US green cards.
On September 19, President Trump signed an executive order requiring H-1B visa applicants to pay an additional $100,000 fee to “curb system abuse,” with the provision taking effect immediately on September 21.
During the rally, Parul Koul, the chair of AWU and a software engineer at Google, revealed that two days prior, H-1B holders at Google received a message from the company’s security department instructing them that if they were outside the US, they had to return before the new H-1B announcement took effect on September 21.
Koul stated, “For hundreds and thousands of H-1B visa holders at Google and across the tech industry, this meant scrambling at the last minute to return to their home country, racing against time to ensure their work remained unaffected and they were not separated from their families.” Despite a clarification by the White House an hour before the deadline via Twitter that current H-1B holders and renewals would not be affected by the new rule, the chaos, fear, and uncertainty had already spread throughout the industry.
Koul further expressed concerns that while the White House mentioned renewals would not be impacted, statements from various government departments implied that renewals could still be affected. She emphasized the significant uncertainty and anxiety these events had brought to current visa holders, highlighting the lack of consultation and input from them or immigrant workers in making these decisions.
Many Chinese employees working in the US are H-1B visa holders. Over the past weekend, several of them also received notifications urging them to return immediately to the US.
The Chinese community on social media shared similar anecdotes, with some recounting rushed returns to the US impacting personal events like weddings and surgeries, underscoring the disruptive effects of the sudden policy changes.
Koul criticized the reckless nature of the executive order, stating, “If there are issues with the visa program, there should be a well-thought-out and practical reform process instead of throwing thousands of people’s lives and work into chaos. These policies are mocking their lives, our lives, and are made without any input from us.”
She urged Google to protect the interests of its employees, advocating for the tech giant to take a meaningful stance in support of H-1B and all immigrant workers as invaluable contributors to the company’s operations.
A Chinese software engineer, Mr. Liu, present at the rally, emphasized how the ongoing uncertainties not only harmed visa holders but also affected American colleagues, ultimately hindering Google’s innovation and competitiveness.
The union demanded Google establish a “layoff as leave” program, allowing H-1B employees to utilize layoff benefits to extend their pay periods, providing them with more time to secure new employment without jeopardizing their status in the US.
The US annually allocates 85,000 H-1B visas, a highly sought-after legal immigration pathway. A female H-1B visa holder working in the US, Ms. Li, noted that Trump had promised during his campaign to crack down on “illegal immigrants” rather than legal immigrants.
“However, Trump’s series of actions have expanded from illegal immigrants to legal immigrants,” she remarked. “I initially agreed with his stance on combating ‘illegal immigration,’ but now it seems the label of ‘Trump anti-immigrant’ from the Democrats is not unfounded.”
Another woman, Ms. Fang, who aspired to immigrate to the US through the H-1B program, concurred with the Google workers’ union’s assertion of the federal policy being “too arbitrary.”
“Do we only need the most elite talent in the US? Do we not need ordinary professionals?” she questioned. “I understand Trump’s intentions are good to protect American jobs. But first, can you really secure American jobs this way? Can Americans do these jobs? Are Americans willing to do these jobs? You didn’t investigate these aspects before making executive orders, which I feel is too hasty.”
Furthermore, Fang highlighted that individuals entering the US through the H-1B program contribute positively to the country, evolving into high-skilled professionals over time, contrasting this with the negative impact of numerous years of illegal immigration leading to citizenship and welfare reliance, suggesting Trump’s restrictions on H-1B visas might not truly benefit the country.
Despite being personally affected by the new regulations, Fang expressed a lack of deep concern, stating, “US policies vary with each president, each period, so who knows, maybe one day it will change back. So, I am not overly worried.”