Walmart’s decision to lay off nearly 1,500 employees has triggered a wave of misinformation online, with MAGA supporters falsely accusing the retail giant of replacing American workers with foreign employees on H-1B visas. The speculation gained traction after users targeted Walmart’s global tech division and even singled out Indian-origin CTO Suresh Kumar, despite no evidence supporting these claims.
According to Bloomberg, the layoffs are part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at “streamlining operations and enhancing decision-making efficiency.” The affected roles span across Walmart’s US e-commerce segment, its advertising division Walmart Connect, and other departments, not just the global tech unit often associated with H-1B hires.
However, the American critics have been pushing an altogether different narrative of this action. “Oh, guess what? The large layoffs today at Walmart… are from its technology team. You know, the kind of US worker who’s replaced by H1B,” one user wrote on X. Another speculated, “1500. Wow, that’s a bloodbath. How many H-1Bs are they bringing in next year?”
The claims also took on a political edge. “How much you want to bet that #Walmart is replacing many of those laid off with #H1B. You are failing America each passing day Donald Trump,” one person wrote, incorrectly attributing responsibility to the former president.
In reality, H-1B visas apply to highly skilled roles, and the departments hit by Walmart’s layoffs, such as advertising and e-commerce, are not areas traditionally filled by foreign tech workers on such visas. Furthermore, while Walmart has received thousands of H-1B approvals, this is standard for a company of its size. It employs 1.6 million people in the US and 2.1 million globally.
The layoffs come amid broader restructuring. Walmart closed its North Carolina office in February and is consolidating teams at hubs in California and Arkansas. In April, the retailer also announced price hikes, citing the impact of Trump-era tariffs on imports from China.
A memo from CTO Suresh Kumar and Walmart US CEO John Furner, reviewed by Bloomberg, confirmed the job cuts are part of a long-term operational strategy, not a move to bring in foreign workers.