As Trump creates H1-B visa complications to appease MAGA supporters, read how this may be a strategy to hide corruption of his “border czar” Tom Homan
As the Trump administration recently announced sweeping changes in the H1-B visa norms by imposing a staggering additional $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, it is being speculated that the move to revise the H1-B visa norms was intended to distract Trump’s MAGA fan base from a bribery investigation against Trump’s immigration policy chief, Tom Homan. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order revising the H1-B visa policy late on Friday (19th September), which was justified by the White House as a “crackdown on systemic abuse” of the H1-B visa system. The executive order claimed that the US companies have been laying off their American employees to hire aliens on H1-B visas at lower salaries. The changes will be effective immediately for new filings and will be effective from 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 21, 2025, for renewals. The executive order, which created panic among H1-B visa holders, most of whom are Indians, is being viewed as a move to please the MAGA supporters of Trump by appealing to their hyper-nationalistic and anti-immigrant sentiments, and take their attention away from a now-closed bribery investigation against the Trump administration official. Notably, the Justice Department has largely dismantled the unit that prosecutes corruption cases, which took part in the Homan probe. Besides, after winning the Presidential election in November 2024, Trump appointed Homan as his “border czar”, which is an advisory role that did not require a Senate confirmation or a full background check by the FBI. FBI closed Bribery investigation against Tom Homan Trump’s border policy chief, Tom Homan, reportedly accepted a $50,000 bag of cash from an undercover FBI agent last year in a sting operation. However, the investigation being led by the Justice Department was closed, citing a lack of evidence, as reported by Reuters. Homan reportedly promised future immigration-related government contracts in return for the money. The investigation against Homan started in August 2024, towards the end of the previous Biden administration, stemming from a separate investigation relating to national security. The target person in the separate national security investigation repeatedly mentioned that Homan had been taking bribes in exchange for future government contracts. As a result, an undercover sting operation was planned to catch Homan, and he fell for it. Homan was recorded accepting the bribe money of $50,000 from an undercover FBI agent. Kash Patel termed investigation against Homan as “political” Homan reportedly received the bribe from a restaurant chain and hinted that he would keep the money in a trust till his term in the Trump administration came to an end. Interestingly, the investigation against Homan was closed by the order of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Chief Kash Patel, after Trump came to power. “This matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing,” said Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement on Sunday as quoted by Reuters. “The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed,” the statement added. Patel and Blanche blamed the Biden administration for conducting a “blatantly political investigation” against Homan, calling it “yet another example of how the Biden Department of Justice was using its resources to target President Trump’s allies.” Homan helped companies obtain immigration-related government contracts before joining the Trump administration Defending Homan, who oversees the Trump administration’s campaign relating to the mass deportation of people staying illegally in the US, White House clarified that he is not involved in awarding any contracts. “He is a career law enforcement officer and lifelong public servant who is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of President Trump and the country,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement. Homan served in the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Obama administration. He was the acting director of the ICE under the first Trump administration. During the previous Biden administration, Homan reportedly ran a consulting business to assist companies in obtaining immigration-related government contracts. When Trump assumed office in January this year, a grand jury investigation going on against Homan in the Western District of Texas was in the preliminary stage. Emil Bove, who was acting deputy attorney general and is currently a federal judge, termed the investigation against Homan a “deep state” operation when briefed about the case in February this year. He referred to the idea that unelected officials secretly control the gover
As the Trump administration recently announced sweeping changes in the H1-B visa norms by imposing a staggering additional $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, it is being speculated that the move to revise the H1-B visa norms was intended to distract Trump’s MAGA fan base from a bribery investigation against Trump’s immigration policy chief, Tom Homan.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order revising the H1-B visa policy late on Friday (19th September), which was justified by the White House as a “crackdown on systemic abuse” of the H1-B visa system. The executive order claimed that the US companies have been laying off their American employees to hire aliens on H1-B visas at lower salaries. The changes will be effective immediately for new filings and will be effective from 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 21, 2025, for renewals.
The executive order, which created panic among H1-B visa holders, most of whom are Indians, is being viewed as a move to please the MAGA supporters of Trump by appealing to their hyper-nationalistic and anti-immigrant sentiments, and take their attention away from a now-closed bribery investigation against the Trump administration official. Notably, the Justice Department has largely dismantled the unit that prosecutes corruption cases, which took part in the Homan probe. Besides, after winning the Presidential election in November 2024, Trump appointed Homan as his “border czar”, which is an advisory role that did not require a Senate confirmation or a full background check by the FBI.
FBI closed Bribery investigation against Tom Homan
Trump’s border policy chief, Tom Homan, reportedly accepted a $50,000 bag of cash from an undercover FBI agent last year in a sting operation. However, the investigation being led by the Justice Department was closed, citing a lack of evidence, as reported by Reuters. Homan reportedly promised future immigration-related government contracts in return for the money.
The investigation against Homan started in August 2024, towards the end of the previous Biden administration, stemming from a separate investigation relating to national security. The target person in the separate national security investigation repeatedly mentioned that Homan had been taking bribes in exchange for future government contracts. As a result, an undercover sting operation was planned to catch Homan, and he fell for it. Homan was recorded accepting the bribe money of $50,000 from an undercover FBI agent.
Kash Patel termed investigation against Homan as “political”
Homan reportedly received the bribe from a restaurant chain and hinted that he would keep the money in a trust till his term in the Trump administration came to an end. Interestingly, the investigation against Homan was closed by the order of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Chief Kash Patel, after Trump came to power. “This matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors.
They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing,” said Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement on Sunday as quoted by Reuters. “The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed,” the statement added. Patel and Blanche blamed the Biden administration for conducting a “blatantly political investigation” against Homan, calling it “yet another example of how the Biden Department of Justice was using its resources to target President Trump’s allies.”
Homan helped companies obtain immigration-related government contracts before joining the Trump administration
Defending Homan, who oversees the Trump administration’s campaign relating to the mass deportation of people staying illegally in the US, White House clarified that he is not involved in awarding any contracts. “He is a career law enforcement officer and lifelong public servant who is doing a phenomenal job on behalf of President Trump and the country,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement. Homan served in the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Obama administration. He was the acting director of the ICE under the first Trump administration. During the previous Biden administration, Homan reportedly ran a consulting business to assist companies in obtaining immigration-related government contracts.
When Trump assumed office in January this year, a grand jury investigation going on against Homan in the Western District of Texas was in the preliminary stage. Emil Bove, who was acting deputy attorney general and is currently a federal judge, termed the investigation against Homan a “deep state” operation when briefed about the case in February this year. He referred to the idea that unelected officials secretly control the government.
