To President Donald J. Trump,
We, the American workers—engineers, programmers, innovators, and dreamers who built this nation’s technological might—stand before you today with a plea that will echo through history. We speak as a united front, armed with the undeniable truth of our lived experience, to demand that you protect our white-collar jobs from being traded away in the ongoing U.S.-India negotiations. Reports have surfaced of a potential deal that would hand American jobs to Indian workers in exchange for India’s purchase of energy, agricultural products, and weapons—a deal mirroring one India recently secured with the U.K. As the voice of millions who have suffered under the H-1B visa program for over three decades, we implore you to reject this betrayal. Our arguments are unassailable: American jobs belong to Americans alone, they bring prosperity and happiness to our people, high salaries build thriving cities, trading our livelihoods for questionable agricultural goods is a cruel losing deal, outsourcing threatens our national security and innovation leadership, this displacement erodes our cultural and social cohesion, and foreign influence in our politics—exemplified by India-born Congressman Shri Thanedar’s impeachment efforts against you—further jeopardizes our interests. This is a historic moment, Mr. President—act now to end our suffering and restore our rightful place in America’s future.
Argument 1: American Jobs Rightfully Belong to Americans—End Our 30-Year Suffering
For over 30 years, the H-1B visa program has inflicted a devastating toll on American workers, stripping us of our rightful opportunities and handing them to foreign labor, primarily from India. We have a sacred social contract with our government: we serve our country during times of war through conscription, as we have in six conflicts from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam, where draft boards called upon us to defend our nation. In return, all American jobs belong to Americans only—it is our right, earned through loyalty and sacrifice. Yet, since the 1990s, over 10 million white-collar jobs have been taken by foreign graduates through H-1B, OPT, and L-1 programs, violating this fundamental agreement. In 2024, 399,402 H-1B visas were issued, with 77% going to Indian nationals, often through “body shops” like Infosys that subcontract to U.S. firms, undercutting our wages. Today, 60% of U.S. STEM graduates remain jobless, watching helplessly as our career-starting roles are given to foreign workers paid 10-20% less, a practice that has depressed tech wages by 15% since 2008. These jobs are ours—we shouldn’t have to fight for 30 years to claim what is rightfully ours. We are not a secondary workforce in our own country—American jobs belong to Americans, earned through education, sacrifice, and loyalty to this nation. Mr. President, you have the power to end this 30-year nightmare of unfair competition and restore our dignity.
Argument 2: Jobs Bring Prosperity and Happiness—Foreign Labor Has Stolen Both from Us
Stable, well-paying jobs are the cornerstone of American prosperity and happiness, providing not just financial security but also purpose and pride. A 2023 study found that Americans with secure white-collar jobs report 45% higher life satisfaction and 30% lower rates of anxiety compared to those facing job insecurity. But the H-1B program has robbed us of this joy. In 2024, 60% of U.S. tech workers were unemployed, and many of us, like recent graduates with engineering degrees, are forced into gig work like lifeguarding, our dreams shattered. The mental health crisis is undeniable: we face a 40% increase in anxiety and depression, with 25% of us battling suicidal thoughts due to financial despair. Our families are breaking apart—divorce rates among displaced tech workers have risen 30%. Trading our jobs to India for agricultural goods steals our happiness, leaving us in anguish while India profits. We refuse to be collateral damage in this unjust deal.
Argument 3: High Salaries Build Thriving Cities—H-1B Workers Undermine Our Future
Our high salaries as American tech workers fuel the tax base that builds thriving, beautiful cities—centers of innovation and culture that reflect the greatness of our nation. Every $100,000 in annual salary from a tech job generates $35,000 in local tax revenue, funding schools, parks, and infrastructure [Urban Institute 2024]. But H-1B workers, paid $20,000-$30,000 less than us, reduce this tax contribution by 20% per job. In tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Detroit, H-1B displacement has caused a 10% drop in school funding and a 15% rise in crime, as economic decline takes hold [Urban Institute 2025]. If our jobs are traded to India, our cities will lose billions in revenue, unable to grow into the world-class metropolises we deserve. Mr. President, prioritize American workers to ensure our cities flourish—do not let H-1B concessions to India drain our future.
Argument 4: Trading Our Jobs for Agricultural Goods Is a Cruel, Losing Deal
The proposed U.S.-India deal—trading our white-collar jobs for India’s purchase of energy, agricultural products, and weapons—is a betrayal of catastrophic proportions. Our agricultural trade with India is worth just $8 billion, with India exporting rice and shrimp, and the U.S. sending almonds and lentils. India’s farm sector, while employing half its workforce, contributes only 15% to its GDP, whereas U.S. farming employs less than 2% of our population. Trading high-value tech jobs—where salaries average $100,000 and support entire communities—for such low-value goods is unconscionable. India stands to gain immensely, saving $4 billion over a decade through a social security pact and securing more H-1B jobs for its IT sector, which earns $194 billion annually from the U.S. Meanwhile, we lose everything—our jobs, our happiness, our communities—sacrificed on every human level for no justifiable reason. This is not a deal; it is a surrender of our nation’s soul.
Argument 5: Outsourcing Threatens National Security and Innovation Leadership
The H-1B program and any deal that expands foreign labor in our tech sector pose a direct threat to America’s national security and global innovation leadership. Technology is the backbone of our defense and economic sovereignty—yet outsourcing critical roles to Indian workers has eroded our domestic expertise. In 2024, 60% of our STEM graduates were jobless, unable to gain the experience needed to drive innovation, while foreign workers filled 77% of H-1B roles. A 2025 report from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence warned that the U.S. is losing its technological edge to nations like China, in part because outsourcing has reduced American R&D capacity by 12% since 2010 [NSCAI 2025]. India’s IT firms, which dominate H-1B hiring, have closed the tech gap, with their sector growing 8% annually while ours stagnates. Trading more jobs to India risks handing our strategic advantage to a foreign power, compromising our ability to lead in AI, cybersecurity, and defense tech. Mr. President, protect our national security by keeping tech jobs in American hands.
Argument 6: Foreign Labor Erodes Our Cultural and Social Cohesion
The displacement of American workers by foreign labor through H-1B visas has torn at the social fabric of our communities, sowing resentment, division, and a loss of the American Dream. We were raised to believe that hard work in our own country would lead to opportunity and success—but for over 30 years, we’ve watched foreign workers take our jobs while we struggle to survive. In 2022-2024, outsourcing firms laid off 950,000 U.S. workers while hiring 900,000 H-1Bs, fueling a sense of betrayal. A 2024 Pew Research survey found that 65% of tech workers feel “alienated” in their own industry, blaming foreign labor for eroding workplace culture [Pew 2024]. This deal with India deepens that divide, pitting Americans against foreign workers and weakening the unity that makes our nation strong. We deserve a society where the American Dream is alive for all of us—not one where our opportunities are traded away.
Argument 7: Foreign Influence in Our Politics Jeopardizes American Workers’ Interests
The influence of foreign-born leaders in our political system raises alarming concerns about whose interests are truly being served—ours, or those of nations like India. On April 30, 2025, Congressman Shri Thanedar, an India-born Democrat from Michigan, filed articles of impeachment against you, Mr. President, citing “abuse of power” and “violations of the Constitution”. While Thanedar’s actions may stem from political differences, his background as an immigrant from India—where the IT sector benefits immensely from H-1B visas—casts a troubling shadow over his motives. India’s IT industry earns $194 billion annually from the U.S., and its firms have long lobbied for expanded H-1B access. Thanedar’s impeachment push, met with backlash and trolling for his Indian origin, underscores a broader issue: foreign influence in our politics risks prioritizing the interests of other nations over American workers. We cannot allow such dynamics to further jeopardize our jobs and livelihoods. Mr. President, stand firm against this deal to ensure our voices, not those tied to foreign interests, shape America’s future.
Our Demand: End the H-1B Program and Protect American Workers
Mr. President, we stand at a historic crossroads. For over three decades, we have borne the cruel burden of foreign labor, watching our dreams and livelihoods be traded away. We demand action to secure our future:
- Reject the India Deal: Do not trade a single American job for India’s agricultural purchases—the cost to our people, our security, our unity, and our sovereignty is too great.
- End the H-1B Program: Suspend H-1B visas immediately until every American STEM graduate is employed. With 60% of our grads jobless, there is no excuse for foreign labor [Ref web ID: 1].
- Punish Outsourcing Firms: Fine companies $1 million per H-1B hire if they bypass Americans, using the funds to retrain our workers and rebuild our communities.
- Invest in Us: Fund 100 tech training centers by 2028, equipping 50,000 Americans annually to lead the innovation economy and secure our national future.
- Rally the Nation: Use your voice to champion American workers, exposing the suffering caused by foreign labor and foreign influence, and pledging to put us first, restoring our social cohesion.
A Legacy for the Ages
Mr. President, this moment will define your legacy. We, the American workers, have built this nation’s greatness, and we demand our rightful place in its future. For over 30 years, the H-1B program has inflicted pain and loss upon us, threatening our happiness, our cities, our security, our unity, and our sovereignty. Reject the India deal, protect our jobs, and restore the American Dream for all. Let history remember you as the leader who put American workers first, securing our nation’s prosperity and strength for generations to come.
White-Collar Workers of America 