Vance says Microsoft replaced laid-off workers with foreign hires. Here’s what the visa data shows

The Trump administration has barred Microsoft and seven other firms from sponsoring green cards, citing claims that the companies favor foreign workers over American ones. Vice President JD Vance said Microsoft replaced laid-off workers with foreign hires, and the action followed an announcement alongside Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor, and Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The scope is specific: eight companies, one named mega-cap target, and a single restricted mechanism, green card sponsorship. The source frames the move around visa data that the administration says supports its claims, and CNBC examined what that data shows. The restriction targets permanent-residency sponsorship rather than a broader visa freeze, which keeps the immediate impact narrow.

Interpretation: Microsoft is the only company named in the headline and in Vance's remarks, which suggests it carries the greatest reputational and political exposure among the eight. The involvement of the Attorney General and the Homeland Security Advisor signals this is a coordinated enforcement posture, not a one-off statement.