The U.S. Department of Labor launched a marketing campaign to promote the Trump administration’s Project Firewall, which is described by the federal government as “an H-1B enforcement initiative that will safeguard the rights, wages, and job opportunities of highly skilled American workers by ensuring employers prioritize qualified Americans when hiring workers and holding employers accountable if they abuse the H-1B visa process.”
Inspiring the new initiative is the Labor Department assertion that “for decades, American Workers have been forced to train their foreign worker replacements—all because companies abused the H-1B program. Enough is enough.”
Through Project Firewall, we’re rebuilding our workforce and ensuring American Jobs go to AMERICANS FIRST! pic.twitter.com/FqLCpRda3V
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) October 18, 2025
Note: The H-1B is a classification of non-immigrant visa in the U.S. “that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, has an annual cap on the number of issued visas, and requires employers to submit paperwork that ensures compliance with various provisions of the law authorizing the visa.” (Prior to marrying Donald Trump, Slovenian-born First Lady Melania Trump acquired an H1-B visa in 1996, to work as a model in the U.S. before she became a citizen in 2006.)
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) September 14, 2016
According to the DOL press release, for the first time in the department’s history, the Secretary of Labor (Lori Chavez-DeRemer) “will personally certify the initiation of investigations… of employers through Project Firewall to maximize H-1B program compliance.”
The American Dream belongs to the American People.
The process is in place and the mission is set—Project Firewall will restore the American Dream by ensuring American Jobs go to AMERICANS FIRST. pic.twitter.com/gdV8WWtIoj
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) October 23, 2025
The Department warned that “violations may result in the collection of back wages owed to affected workers, the assessment of civil money penalties, and/or debarment from future use of the H-1B program for a prescribed period of time.”
Our work on Project Firewall is critical in our mission to put Americans First and RESTORE THE AMERICAN DREAM.
‘These Are Fundamental’ —Fortune Magazine pic.twitter.com/SMc6e4ruj0
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) October 19, 2025
As seen above and below, the illustrations used to promote Project Firewall feature young white men, women and children with 1940s hairstyles and clothing, on the job, at home and in church.
Project Firewall is our commitment to ensure American Workers have a fair shot at the American Dream.
It’s not going to be easy—but the American Dream is worth fighting for.
‘Every Sunday Morning’ —Harold Anderson pic.twitter.com/TeOdsGRac8
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) October 21, 2025
[NOTE: As has been pointed out in the comments, the illustration style resembles that of famous American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell, who was best known for the series of paintings called Four Freedoms, which refer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s January 1941 Four Freedoms State of the Union address. Roosevelt identified — and Rockwell painted — four essential human rights that should be universally protected: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.]
As expected, not every American approves of the campaign. As Hope Rehak responded: “The American people are not a monolith of white Christian nationalists and your horrible taste in art will be studied in history books.” Some have responded with “corrected” images, as seen below.
Fixed it for ya pic.twitter.com/4tYW85ciP1
— Based Luna (@lunasvision9) October 22, 2025
Others also objected to the choice of imagery as exclusionary. Below, political commentator Mehdi Hasan asserts that the lack of diversity featured in the images is intentional and significant, curated by “white nationalists” — he says — presumably to appeal to a like-minded voter base. “They’re not hiding it,” Hasan says.
The Trump government social media accounts are run by far right white nationalists. It’s almost undeniable. They’re not hiding it from anyone who had eyes, a brain, or any understanding of 20th century history. https://t.co/2PmYewyK6U
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 27, 2025
The H-1B visa has been a very important tool for major technology companies who have for decades sought and found talented workers overseas to fill important positions.
It is perhaps notable, as Sec. Chavez-DeRemer may find herself reminded as she “personally” certifies H-1B investigations, that of the 10 companies benefitting most from the issuance of H-1B visas, six of them — Amazon, Meta, Google, Apple, Walmart, Microsoft — are also on the list of companies who contributed millions to fund the Trump White House ballroom.