'H-1B workers ONLY': DOJ punishes company Sara Gonzales exposed for illegal hiring practices

As many journalists and concerned citizens continue to raise the alarm about the rampant H-1B fraud and abuse endemic to our system, the Department of Justice has started to deliver some results. This week, BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales proudly claimed another scalp for her role in exposing a company for discriminating against Americans.

Earlier this week, the Department of Justice announced that it had reached a settlement with New Jersey-based Compunnel Software Group Inc. for illegal hiring practices.

‘The DOJ has taken action against at least one of the companies I exposed.’

According to the settlement, Compunnel signaled its intent to hire employees based on citizenship status, specifically favoring H-1B visa holders or related temporary employment-based visa holders. One email sent to the “charging party” indicated that the company wanted “only” temporary visa holders for a particular position.

Gonzales, host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” on BlazeTV, touted this settlement as a win after covering this story in February.

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“The DOJ has taken action against at least one of the companies I exposed,” Gonzales said on X. “Compunnel Software Group, Inc now has to cough up $313,420 after some of its recruiters posted job advertisements for positions in the United States that were offered to H-1B workers ONLY.”

“For too long, these scammers have felt comfortable blatantly breaking the law in broad daylight and stealing American jobs. I commend the DOJ for this swift resolution, and I am hopeful there will be more action in the future. We must take our country back from those who have come here with the intention of defrauding us while taking advantage of our resources,” Gonzales told Blaze News.

Compunnel has agreed to pay $58,000 in back pay to the U.S. citizen who was discriminated against in the hiring process. It has also agreed to pay $255,420 in civil penalties to the U.S. Treasury.

“Employers cannot exclude U.S. workers from the labor force by discriminating against them based on their citizenship status. Employers must design recruitment, training, and compliance practices to ensure adherence to federal civil rights laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“It’s illegal to discourage U.S. workers from applying for American jobs,” she said.

This is the ninth settlement the DOJ has delivered since the revival of its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025 to enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act.