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Fury erupts as US brand fires 1,600 employees after securing thousands of foreign worker visas
Boston federal judge blocks Trump fee for H-1B visas
A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee, stating it is an unauthorized tax without congressional approval. The policy, enacted last year, drastically increased the fee from $2,000-$5,000 to prioritize U.S. citizens. The White House plans to appeal the decision.
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A popular U.S.-based gaming brand owned by Microsoft is facing fury after mass employee layoffs occurred in the wake of the company being approved for thousands of foreign worker visas.
Microsoft announced that it will lay off 4,800 people total and 1,600 from the corporation’s XBOX division, which makes and sells the dominant video game console.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been approved this year to hire from foreign countries 2,273 employer-sponsored, non-immigrant workers under what is known as the H-1B visa program, according to data from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Furious online critics claim that American jobs are being unfairly handed to foreigners in an effort to cut labor costs but at the cost of leaving U.S. workers in the lurch.
‘AMERICA FIRST’ IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL BILL WOULD CODIFY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES ONCE AND FOR ALL
Asha Sharma, chief executive officer of Xbox,, during the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco, California, US, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The event brings together the leading CEOs, investors and innovators who are harnessing technology to change the world around us. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«A great way to fix this is to throw anyone doing this in prison,» said one user on X. «Fire Americans to replace with thousands of visa workers? Straight to jail, and assets seized. This story has been told countless times. Fire American staff and hire foreigners. Over and over.»
«It is the fault of our Government [sic] for approving the H-1Bs,» another social media user lamented. «Our Government [sic] has sold us out of jobs at home and those being moved to other countries.»
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Another user described the H-1B program as «industrial scale job theft from Americans.»
Microsoft is the sixth-largest beneficiary of H-1B visas, a program that is overwhelmingly dominated by workers from India. The company has even more H-1B applications pending. Microsoft has employees worldwide, but most are in the United States.
«These decisions are based on business need, not visa status. H-1B employees were also impacted by job eliminations in the U.S.,» a Microsoft spokesperson told Fox News Digital when reached for comment on the lay offs.
Fans compete in a gaming tournament at Microsoft retail store at the Florida Mall on November 21, 2013 in Orlando, Florida and another five cities across the country for a chance to win up to $25,000 in prizes and a chance to participate in a final showdown at the Jacksonville, Fla. Microsoft Store opening, featuring a performance by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Tournament finalists will receive an Ultimate Xbox One Gaming House including all launch night titles in each of the six participating stores. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Microsoft) (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Microsoft)
«Every single employer is exploiting the H-1B visa program,» said the Project for Immigration Reform.
A lawmaker even called for a complete end to the non-immigrant visa program.
TRUMP TAPS ACTING LABOR SECRETARY KEITH SONDERLING FOR PERMANENT ROLE PENDING SENATE CONFIRMATION
«This is INSANE. LEGAL immigration is a major problem. These companies, especially big tech, are abusing these immigration programs to replace American workers with foreign workers,» said Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va.
«No more. It’s long past time to end the H-1B scam.»
XBOX CEO Asha Sharma cited the company’s financial health for the layoffs.
«Our business today is not healthy,» said a memo from Sharma, according to The Associated Press. «We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses.»
Sharma added that her strategy is to «reset» XBOX.
Some online critics, however, claimed Sharma’s Indian heritage played a role in firing the Americans, given the percentage of H-1B workers from India. Sharma was born in Wisconsin.
Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday a large-scale investigation into H-1B visa fraud.
«Today, I’m proud to announce that the federal Department of Labor has started dozens of subpoenas and investigations into foreign fraudsters who are trying to take advantage of the H-1B visa program,» he said during a press conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
«American jobs ought to go to American workers and not foreign fraudsters and the Department of Labor is fighting back against it.»
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Sept. 19, 2025, establishing the «Trump Gold Card» and introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. The «Trump Gold Card» is a visa program that allows foreign nationals permanent residency and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for a $1 million investment in the United States. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Recently, President Donald Trump tried to limit employers’ use of the H-1B program by imposing a $100,000 fee for companies seeking H-1B applications.
A federal judge struck down that order, reasoning that it amounted to a tax that only Congress has the ability to impose.
politics, jobs, tech, microsoft, big tech backlash
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AOC-backed candidate ripped for ‘bizarre response’ to transparency question: ‘Pretty basic’
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Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, says he’s waiting on outstanding paperwork needed to accurately fill out his tax disclosure forms.
El-Sayed’s statement appears to be trying to defuse allegations from his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, that he is trying to mask his net worth, hiding the true nature of his wealth until after the Michigan Aug. 4 Democratic primary.
«You’ve sought an extension through August 13, I believe, which is after the primary,» El-Sayed, who is endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other far-left lawmakers, was asked on Wednesday. «Was this to avoid transparency with your voters? Why not release them before the election?»
DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’
Abdul El-Sayed, candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks before U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
«No,» El-Sayed replied. «Taxes get complicated.»
«My wife and her family own property abroad and getting all those tax forms is a thing,» he added.
As a part of his candidate disclosure report filed in June 2025, El-Sayed has reported a number of holdings. Among them: a salary from Wayne County worth $278,900 and an assortment of other assets bringing his net worth to somewhere between $580,000 and $1.7 million.
As a part of that disclosure, his wife reported a rental property in Bangalore, India worth between $100,001 and $250,000. The disclosure went on to say that his wife brought in between $5,001 and $15,000 in «income.» Another rental property in Ann Arbor, Michigan that was worth between $250,001 $500,000 brought in between $5,001 and $15,000.
To some viewers, El-Sayed’s responses this past week are confusing, given the existence of his 2025 filings.
«A bizarre response,» Chuck Ross, a Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter, wrote in a post to X. «He filed a Senate financial disclosure in June 2025 that listed his wife’s rental property in India.»
«When it comes to actual transparency and investment, the fact that he is saying ‘my wife has foreign assets. My wife has investments abroad.’ Look we need to know you have allegiance to the United States of America,» Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News. «You need to come before the people that are working to elect you and you’ve got to show them what you’re about.»
«If you have nothing to hide, then just release the tax returns. These Trump tactics are an extremely bad look,» another observer wrote.
WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a progressive champion, endorsed far left candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s high-profile 2026 Democratic Senate primary. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Hen Mazzig, a pro-Israel political commentator, also bashed El-Sayed’s response.
«Didn’t realize being unaware of the extent of your own wealth was a characteristic of the working class,» Mazzig said, referring to El-Sayed’s promises to represent everyday Michigan voters against corporate interests.
El-Sayed’s responses on Wednesday come after the Michigan primary debate on Tuesday evening, where Stevens accused El-Sayed of a lack of candor.
«Well, look, transparency is oh so important. This is why I have released my tax returns. My opponent, Abdul, he said that transparency is key, but yet he hasn’t released his tax returns,» Stevens said.
«Look, I am the only one running for United States Senate in Michigan who is not a millionaire,» Stevens said.
When asked if Stevens’ assertions were true, El-Sayed hinted that the figure was a little ambiguous.
«If you take my assets and my wife’s assets together, then I guess they add up to something like that,» El-Sayed said in his Wednesday interview.
In another sit-down with MS Now, El-Sayed pledged to release his tax documents ahead of the primary.
OMAR’S DISCLOSURES ERASED MILLIONS, LEAVING HER WITH POTENTIAL NEGATIVE NET WORTH. SHE WON’T EXPLAIN WHY
U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders and embraced comparisons between he and Zohran Mamdani. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
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«We absolutely will. Sometimes finances are complicated. I can only control what I can control, and unfortunately, when it comes to tax documents, sometimes they are really complicated to get,» El-Sayed said.
«We are absolutely going to release it before the primary.»
politics, taxes, democrats senate
INTERNACIONAL
Era el estilista de las celebridades, apareció muerto junto a su madre y una carta escondía la verdad
Mauricio Leal era uno de los estilistas más reconocidos de Colombia. Dueño de un exclusivo salón de belleza en Bogotá, trabajaba con actrices, modelos, cantantes e influencers, y había construido una exitosa carrera que lo convirtió en una figura muy querida dentro del mundo del espectáculo.
Pero el 22 de noviembre de 2021 su nombre comenzó a ocupar las portadas de todos los medios por un motivo completamente distinto. Ese día fue encontrado muerto junto a su madre, Marleny Hernández, en la casa que ambos compartían en La Calera, un municipio ubicado en las afueras de Bogotá.
Lo que en un principio parecía un homicidio seguido de suicidio terminó convirtiéndose en uno de los casos policiales más impactantes de la historia reciente de Colombia, con una investigación que descubrió una escena cuidadosamente montada y reveló que el asesino era una persona de su entorno más cercano.
El hallazgo
La mañana del 22 de noviembre, familiares y allegados comenzaron a preocuparse porque Mauricio no respondía los llamados ni los mensajes. Poco después, las autoridades ingresaron a la casa y encontraron una escena estremecedora.
El peluquero y su madre estaban muertos dentro de la casa, ambos con múltiples puñaladas. Junto al cuerpo de Mauricio se encontró una carta escrita a mano en la que, supuestamente, confesaba haber asesinado a su madre para luego quitarse la vida. “No puedo más”, decía ese documento, que después se convirtió en la principal prueba de la causa.
Durante las primeras horas, esa hipótesis pareció convencer a parte de los investigadores. Sin embargo, había varios detalles que no terminaban de cerrar.
Las heridas, la posición de los cuerpos y distintos elementos hallados en la propiedad despertaron sospechas entre los peritos, que comenzaron a reconstruir minuto a minuto lo que había ocurrido. El peluquero Mauricio Leal junto a su madre, Marleny. Ambos fueron asesinados en noviembre de 2021. (Foto: City TV)
Con el avance de las pericias forenses, la teoría del homicidio seguido de suicidio empezó a derrumbarse. Los especialistas concluyeron que Mauricio había sido obligado a escribir la carta antes de morir y que, debido a la gravedad de las heridas que presentaba, era prácticamente imposible que hubiera podido redactarla por voluntad propia después de atacar a su madre.
Además, el análisis de la escena permitió establecer que alguien había intentado alterar la evidencia para hacer creer que se trataba de un suicidio.
La investigación dio entonces un giro total: ya no buscaban explicar una tragedia familiar, sino identificar al responsable de un doble homicidio cuidadosamente planificado.
El principal sospechoso
A medida que avanzaban las declaraciones y el análisis de cámaras de seguridad, todas las miradas comenzaron a dirigirse hacia Jhonier Leal, hermano mayor de Mauricio.
Los investigadores detectaron inconsistencias en sus declaraciones y movimientos que no coincidían con el relato que había dado sobre las horas previas al crimen. Jhonier y Mauricio Leal. (Foto: La República)
También encontraron pruebas que indicaban que había manipulado distintos elementos de la escena y que había permanecido en la casa durante un tiempo mayor al que había reconocido.
La Fiscalía colombiana sostuvo que el hombre había organizado el asesinato con un objetivo económico: quedarse con la importante fortuna de Mauricio, que incluía propiedades, vehículos, empresas y otros bienes obtenidos durante años de trabajo.
En enero de 2022, apenas dos meses después del crimen, Jhonier Leal fue detenido e imputado por el doble homicidio.
Durante una audiencia sorprendió al admitir su responsabilidad. Entre lágrimas, aceptó haber asesinado tanto a su hermano como a su madre y pidió perdón a su familia.
Sin embargo, poco tiempo después cambió completamente su estrategia judicial. Su defensa aseguró que había sido presionado para declararse culpable e intentó retractarse de la confesión, por lo que el proceso continuó con la presentación de pruebas periciales, testimonios y reconstrucciones realizadas por la Fiscalía. Mauricio Leal era conocido como el «peluquero de las estrellas» en Colombia. (Foto: El Universo)
Leé también: La consideraban como una hija, pero ella los traicionó: una joven secuestró a sus vecinos para robarles y luego los enterró vivos
La condena
Tras analizar toda la evidencia reunida durante la investigación, la Justicia concluyó que el doble crimen había sido cometido por Jhonier Leal y que el móvil había sido económico.
Los jueces consideraron probado que asesinó a su hermano y a su madre, que intentó simular un homicidio seguido de suicidio mediante la carta encontrada junto al cuerpo de Mauricio y que alteró la escena para desviar la investigación.
En junio de 2024 fue condenado a más de 55 años de prisión por el doble homicidio agravado.
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