Get ready for a major shake-up in hiring! American companies are now being warned to stop ignoring domestic workers in favour of H-1B visa holders. This bold move comes with a sharp warning: federal penalties may follow, thanks to the Trump administration's new enforcement drive called Project Firewall. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the watchdog here, cracking down on employers who play favourites with foreign workers instead of giving Americans a fair shot. The Department of Labor teamed up with EEOC to remind companies that favouring foreign or H-1B workers could break federal laws. Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer proudly said, “I applaud the EEOC for standing with the Department of Labor’s mandate under Project Firewall to ensure American workers have a fair chance to compete and succeed.” She added that the government will keep fighting “bad practices” and protect chances for Americans. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas didn't hold back either: “With the scale of unlawful anti-American discrimination we’re seeing, robust investigation and enforcement within the EEOC and with our federal partners is essential to protecting America’s workforce.” Sounds serious! The EEOC has published a clear one-page guide entitled “Discrimination Against American Workers Is Against The Law.” It explains how unfair hiring can hide in job ads, actual recruitment, workplace harassment, or even retaliation against workers. This is all backed by big laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and top court rulings. Here's the spicy part: many employers still run hiring policies that favour migrants, illegal aliens, or guest workers over Americans — and that's illegal. The EEOC said, “Nothing justifies illegal national origin discrimination whether rooted in cost of labour, customer preferences, or stereotypes.” If any worker feels they're being discriminated against, the EEOC invites them to file a complaint online. They have the power to investigate private companies and can team up with the Department of Justice to tackle state or local government agencies. In a nutshell, Project Firewall is ready to slam the brakes on any sneaky hiring tricks that push American talent aside. Will this force companies to finally put their own people first? The coming months will tell!