You know, sometimes you look at Washington D.C., and it feels like you’re watching a rerun of a show you never really liked in the first place. The actors might change, the set dressing gets a minor update, but the plot? That often stays stubbornly, frustratingly the same. It’s like those resolutions you make on New Year’s Day – full of promise and vigor, only to find the old habits creeping back in before January’s even over.

We hear a lot about “draining the swamp,” and bless the individuals who try, but it seems those swamp critters are a resilient bunch. They’ve got their little hidey-holes, their well-worn pathways, and a peculiar knack for just…carrying on. Promises are made, mandates are given by the American people, and yet, the great, creaking machinery of government often seems to have a mind of its own, doesn’t it? It makes a patriot wonder what it really takes to get the message through.

Well, buckle up, because the latest dispatch from the bureaucratic engine room is a real head-turner, and not in a good way if you’re an American worker, especially in the tech sector. Word on the street, or rather, from official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, is that a whopping 120,141 H-1B visas have been approved for foreign workers for the fiscal year 2026.

Now, that’s a hefty number on its own, but it lands like a lead balloon when you consider that American tech companies have been handing out pink slips like they’re going out of style. We’re talking over 2,400 layoffs in January alone this year, soaring to over 16,000 in February, nearly 9,000 in March, and a staggering 23,000 in April, according to Tech Crunch via The Post Millennial.

The people behind the “US Tech Workers” X account, who keep a close eye on these things, didn’t mince words.

From ‘US Tech Workers’ via The Post Millennial:

“Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash—especially after the Christmas H-1B uproar—the Trump team stays hands-off: 120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026. Demand remains high despite layoffs—a clear sign U.S. workers are being replaced.”

Now, that “Trump team stays hands-off” bit is the kicker, isn’t it? It sure sounds like the federal agency, USCIS, is just humming along, pushing these through – perhaps a flurry of approvals rushed in from processes initiated before President Trump could really get his new term’s agenda to fully permeate the system.

So, Who’s Minding the ‘America First’ Store?

It begs the question: if the team at the top is “hands-off,” who exactly is steering this ship? The H-1B visa applications, we’re told by The Post Millennial referencing the USCIS website, opened “at noon Eastern on March 7 and ran through noon Eastern on March 24” of 2025. It feels like the bureaucratic gears were already grinding away, perhaps with a sense of urgency to get these processed before any new “America First” directives could throw a wrench in their well-oiled machine. It’s the classic story: the people vote for change, but the permanent fixtures in Washington seem to have their own playbook.

This isn’t just some abstract policy debate; it’s about American jobs and American families. Jack Posobiec, a voice many of our readers will recognize, put it plainly when this issue flared up before, as quoted by The Post Millennial: “America first means the American people first.” It’s hard to see how flooding the tech market with over 120,000 foreign workers, while our own tech professionals are lining up for unemployment, squares with that fundamental principle.

Déjà Vu All Over Again: The Swamp’s Greatest Hits?

What’s particularly galling is that these numbers, according to The Post Millennial, are “right in line with rates of approved visas in past years,” citing figures like 135,137 for 2025 and 188,400 for 2024. So, despite the clear message sent by voters, the bureaucratic momentum continues, almost as if the election results were merely a suggestion. It’s a stark reminder that the administrative state has a life of its own, often resistant to the very people it’s supposed to serve.

There was even debate within conservative circles about this. The Post Millennial notes Vivek Ramaswamy spoke highly of the program, while Elon Musk suggested reforms like significantly raising minimum salaries for H-1B holders to make hiring Americans more attractive. Sensible ideas, perhaps, but it seems the agency in charge decided to stick to the same old tune. This isn’t about being anti-immigrant; it’s about being pro-American worker. It’s about ensuring that our policies benefit our citizens first and foremost.

The situation leaves you wondering if the memo about prioritizing American workers got lost in the inter-office mail somewhere deep in the bowels of a federal building. It’s a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the far-left hand, still embedded in the bureaucracy, is doing.

This isn’t just a number; it’s a signal. A signal that despite promises and the clear will of many Americans, the machinery of government can sometimes feel like it’s working on autopilot, stuck in a loop that benefits globalist agendas over homegrown prosperity. It’s a reminder that “We the People” need to remain ever vigilant, holding not just elected officials, but the entire sprawling bureaucracy accountable. The fight for an America that truly puts its own people first is, as always, ongoing.

Key Takeaways:

• Federal agencies approved over 120,000 H-1B visas for FY2026, even as American tech workers face massive layoffs.
• This bureaucratic inertia, with the “Trump team hands-off,” appears to defy “America First” principles, replacing U.S. citizens.
• Consistent visa numbers with past years highlight the entrenched swamp resisting change and prioritizing foreign labor.

Sources: The Post Millennial