Source: Reuters
“Amid the pandemic, the Trump administration has seized on the threat to public health as a pretext to issue a series of policy changes affecting almost every aspect of the immigration system.” https://nyti.ms/2CtbpVW
On Monday, 6/22, President Trump temporarily suspended the issuance of the H-1B, H-2B, H-4, J, and L visas. These visas allow skilled workers, seasonal workers, students on work-study summer programs, and au pairs to temporarily work or study in the U.S.
The rationale for this policy is that these visas threaten employment opportunities for Americans. However, this is untrue. The New American Economy (NAE) found that every H-1B visa holder creates 1.83 American jobs. NAE also found that “hiring immigrants often raises wages for U.S.-born STEM workers due to foreign-born and U.S.-born workers specializing in different roles. As employers use foreign-born workers to fill more technical or lower level jobs, firms are able to expand, often allowing U.S.-born employees to assume managerial and leadership positions.”
Thomas J. Donohue, the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said, “Putting up a ‘not welcome’ sign for engineers, executives, IT experts, doctors, nurses and other workers… will push investment and economic activity abroad, slow growth and reduce job creation.” Tech companies, including Amazon, Uber, Google, and Twitter, have also expressed that this suspension will hurt American businesses.
The proclamation does not include individuals already in the United States, visa holders abroad with permission to enter the U.S., and some medical workers working on coronavirus research. Read the proclamation here.