This Issue: A win last week as Pres. Trump paused the expansion of low-skilled H-2B visas. There's a lot left to do, and a real opportunity for a new direction.

Fri, Apr 17^th

We are nearly a month into nationwide shutdown due to the coronavirus and we are starting to understand the magnitude of the economic effects. There are at least 22 million more Americans who are out of work, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better.

One of our jobs at NumbersUSA is to message effectively --to help get the media to report on important stories and, ultimately, to have policy makers in D.C. put the interests of the American people first and foremost when it comes to immigration.

Yet, how does an organization message at a time like this without the message sounding trite?

I keep hearing it said:

"I've never seen anything like this."

That's true, and it's scary for a lot of us.

We also keep hearing that we're going to get through this together, while we're being told to keep our distance from one another.

My hope, and I know many of you share this with me, is that this ordeal will propel us out of the partisanship and ideological rigidity that's predominated for far too long.

Every single one of those 22 million who have been put out of work are individuals, who deserve our respect, and deserve our support in earning a livelihood.

Last week, we told you that the Trump Administration paused the expansion of the H-2B, low-skilled guest worker program. That was the right decision, and President Trump deserves credit for making it, although he still hasn't committed to stopping or slowing giving out the normal number of H-2B and H-1B visas.

There is going to be a lot of pressure put on the President, and a lot of money spent lobbying Congress, in order to "return to normal."

Normal wasn't working for many Americans, and we can't get to something better without your help.

You saw this? Eight out of ten Americans Favor A Pause On Immigration During Coronavirus Pandemic

That's a groundswell!

Let your members of Congress know how you feel.

Action Board

I was reflecting this week on how fortunate I am to be able to work every day for something I truly believe in, and to be able to work with people who are truly committed to the same goal. And humbled by knowing there are millions of you out there who are working with us.

We are presented with a genuine opportunity to make a real change in direction. We owe it to our fellow Americans, and to our posterity, to pass on the blessing that we have.

If you need a little pick-me-up, Brooks Robinson always works for me.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Eric was a member of the Salisbury, Maryland team that played in the 1985 Junior League World Series and remains loyal to his childhood Orioles heroes.)

Eric Ruark, Director of Research

Breitbart: Rosemary commented on polling data showing support for an illegal alien bailout.

"It is important for us to focus on getting American workers into American jobs and making sure that our own people are healthy and able to survive," responded Rosemary Jenks, the policy director at NumbersUSA.

"The fact that the left and the business community -- the big business folks -- decided they needed to encourage illegal immigration does not mean that American taxpayers now have to bail them out," she added. "That's a problem with illegal immigration -- every time you reward it, you get more of it, and that's exactly what the progressives want, and so does big business."

Breitbart: Rosemary also commented on a story about a Costco meatpacking plant.

"We have basically a policy of lowering labor costs at all costs, and now we're paying the price because we have all these labor-intensive industries that are paying dirt wages and putting their employees at risk," said Rosemary Jenks, policy director at Numbers USA.

Nexstar: Chris spoke to a reporter for Nexstar (owner of 197 local TV stations) which was looking for comment about Members of Congress saying ICE officers should not get protective supplies that enable them to continue immigration enforcement.

Numbers USA, an organization that supports limiting both legal and illegal immigration, says the work ICE does, just like local police is essential, even during a pandemic.

"We are supplying these supplies to law enforcement officers," said Chris Chmielenski with Numbers USA. "I don't see why Immigration Customs Enforcement should be any different."

Chmielenski says for now ICE is only conducting raids on violent offenders. He says lawmakers calling for ICE to stop are politicizing the crisis.

"They're just using this pandemic as another reason to push their anti-enforcement agenda," Chmielenski said.

Chmielenski says the protective equipment ICE agents require makes up a small fraction of our national demand.

Without illegal workers, Costco meatpacking plant work safer & healthier?

Roy Beck

Thu, Apr 16^th

While the nation's meat supply chain is threatened by meatpacking plant shutdowns due to Covid-19 outbreaks among employees, the Costco plant in Freemont, Nebraska has thus far had only one confirmed employee and is humming at full speed.

Fla. Immigration Crackdown Expands Following Sanctuary Cities Ban

Thu, Apr 16^th

Gov. Ron DeSantis' push to decrease illegal immigration is slowly expanding the footprint of federal immigration authorities in parts of Florida's criminal justice system, in ways that should be an example to other states.

New York Times offers a glimpse at life without congestion

jeremy beck

Wed, Apr 15^th

"Faster buses. Plentiful parking. Cleaner air." Those are just a few of the ways The New York Times describes life in the great city of New York during this pandemic-induced traffic time out. There's even birdsong! But just as everyone expects traffic, congestion, and pollution to rise once the outbreak has subsided, our population will also continue to do so, zooming past 400 million in the next four decades, as long as immigration policies remain unchanged.

Sheriff: Illegal aliens released over COVID-19 will disappear

Wed, Apr 15^th

One of the nation's most influential sheriffs on illegal immigration warned Monday that illegal aliens freed by judges concerned about the coronavirus spreading in jails will disappear after the crisis is over.

Fewer Drivers, not more Roads

Amy boylan

Tue, Apr 14^th

The solution to more is not more; it's less. We add 1.5 million more people to the roadways every year. How many more roads can we build, paving over open spaces along the way, before we run out of space? Imagine in 2065 when an additional 103 million people are using our roadways and transit systems. How many days per year will the average American spend commuting when that number becomes a reality?