President Trump’s America First agenda is quietly delivering wins for American workers, even if it comes with some trade-offs. On February 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new policy allowing employers to withdraw Permanent Employment Certification (PERM) applications during the “Request for Review” stage, a move exposed as hiding bias and erasing accountability. It was also revealed that the DOL has scrubbed public PERM data and hired H-1B contractors to build their systems with our tax dollars. At White Collar Workers of America, we’re concerned about the lack of transparency—but we can’t ignore the silver lining: PERM cancellations are up, a first in history, and H-1B workers are self-deporting, freeing jobs for Americans! Trump’s quiet approach might be the key to avoiding blockage, but we demand better transparency to protect U.S. workers fully.
A Double-Edged Sword: The PERM Policy Change
The DOL’s February 3, 2025, announcement via FLAG.DOL.GOV updated the PERM online filing system (ETA Form 9089), allowing employers to withdraw applications in a “Request for Review” status before the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) prepares the review package.
@amandalouise416 warns this lets employers erase evidence of bias—like rejecting qualified Americans to hire cheaper foreign workers—before BALCA can see it. USDOL BALCA PERM Digest confirms BALCA’s review is limited to the record at the Certifying Officer stage, meaning withdrawals ensure no formal record of violations exists. While this lack of transparency is troubling, the policy has an unexpected upside: PERM cancellations are happening at an unprecedented rate, disrupting green card paths for H-1B workers and leading to self-deportation—a win for American jobs we can’t ignore.
Why Transparency Matters: Hiding Bias Hurts Americans
The downside of this policy is real and alarming. By allowing withdrawals, the DOL lets employers hide bias and non-compliance, undermining PERM’s purpose to protect U.S. workers, as outlined in Permanent Labor Certification. For example, an employer might reject qualified American applicants to sponsor a foreign worker at a lower wage, then withdraw the application if BALCA scrutiny looms, erasing evidence of their actions. @amandalouise416’s claim that the DOL has scrubbed public PERM data further fuels concerns—without access to this data, we can’t track the scale of foreign labor certifications or hold employers accountable. Worse, the DOL’s use of H-1B contractors to build their systems, as @amandalouise416 alleges, echoes our prior critiques of the DOL misusing taxpayer dollars to displace Americans. Transparency is critical to ensure American workers aren’t cheated out of jobs.
The Silver Lining: PERM Cancellations and H-1B Self-Deportation
Despite these concerns, the policy change has a major silver lining: PERM cancellations are up, a first in history, and it’s leading H-1B workers to self-deport. PERM is a key step for H-1B workers seeking green cards, and H-1B FAQs | USCIS notes that H-1B visas typically last 6 years unless extended by a pending PERM application. When employers withdraw PERM applications—whether to avoid scrutiny or due to errors—it delays or derails the green card process, leaving H-1B workers with expiring visas and no path to stay. Many are choosing to self-deport, freeing up jobs for Americans. 850,000 H-1B visas displaced 750,000 American STEM grads over a decade. These cancellations are a game-changer, giving Americans a shot at jobs they’ve been shut out of.
Hidden Jobs Now: American Heroes Disrupting PERM
A major driver behind these PERM cancellations is the incredible work of ‘Discover Hidden Tech Jobs.Now!’ (X:@JobsNowPR , Jobs.Now), a group dedicated to helping American workers reclaim jobs from foreign labor programs. They’re helping Americans apply for jobs posted during the PERM process, disrupting employers’ attempts to claim no qualified U.S. workers are available. PERM requires employers to conduct recruitment to prove they can’t find American candidates—if qualified Americans apply in droves, employers are forced to either hire them or withdraw the PERM application, as proceeding with a foreign worker becomes unjustifiable. Hidden Jobs Now’s efforts are directly contributing to the unprecedented PERM cancellations, leading to H-1B self-deportation. We’re in awe of their grassroots activism—true American heroes fighting for our jobs!
Trump’s Quiet Strategy: Winning Without the Noise
Trump’s administration might be allowing this policy change to happen quietly for a reason: to avoid being blocked by corporate lobbies or immigration advocates. Trump’s doing H-1B crackdowns—wage hikes, fee increases, nonprofit loophole closures, and OPT scrutiny—highlight his pattern of acting “with no fanfare” to achieve America First goals.
For example, X user above revealed H-1B nonprofit loophole closures with “no press releases, no headlines,” a stealth approach that mirrors this PERM policy change. The DOL’s lack of transparency might be a trade-off Trump accepts to reduce foreign labor without triggering backlash, as corporate lobbying has historically delayed H-1B reforms. While we wish for more openness, we can’t deny the result: H-1B workers are leaving, and American workers are benefiting.
The Bigger Picture: A Step Forward, But More to Do
This PERM policy change fits into Trump’s broader fight against foreign labor programs that displace Americans. Our advocacy against H-1B, OPT, and now PERM shows a systemic issue: foreign workers are too often prioritized over U.S. citizens. The Economic Policy Institute confirms H-1B workers suppress wages, replacing Americans at companies like Disney and Southern California Edison. Our prior articles exposed Deloitte’s 15:1 offshore ratio and Fannie Mae’s fraud scandal, revealing corporate betrayal. Trump’s quiet moves—like this PERM change, H-1B wage hikes, and nonprofit crackdowns—are starting to turn the tide, and Hidden Jobs Now’s activism is amplifying the impact. But the DOL’s transparency failures (scrubbed data, H-1B contractors) undermine trust. We need both: results that favor Americans and openness to ensure fairness.
Trump and DOGE: Celebrate the Win, Demand Transparency
President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) must build on this win while addressing the transparency gap. First, celebrate the PERM cancellations—keep pushing policies that lead to H-1B self-deportation, freeing more jobs for Americans. Second, support groups like Hidden Jobs Now, whose activism is making a real difference—consider partnering with them to amplify their impact. Third, restore public access to PERM data, ensuring we can track foreign labor certifications and hold employers accountable. Fourth, fire the H-1B contractors working for the DOL and hire Americans instead, using our tax dollars to support our workers. Musk, whose silence on foreign labor fraud we’ve questioned, must lead the charge in DOGE. Thank you, President Trump, for this quiet victory—now let’s ensure transparency so American workers are fully protected!
At White Collar Workers of America, we’re encouraged by the PERM cancellations driving H-1B self-deportation, thanks in part to heroes like Hidden Jobs Now, but we demand transparency from the DOL. Share this with @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk. Demand they end foreign labor programs and put Americans first. Our jobs, our future, our country—time to take it all back!
White-Collar Workers of America 