This Issue: Suspending guest worker programs would provide greatest relief for American workers

Fri, Apr 24^th

By now, you should have received Roy's email detailing Pres. Trump's executive order. If you haven't had a chance to read through it, it's posted as a blog on our website.

Pres. Trump promised with his Monday night Tweet that his Administration would be halting immigration at a time when more than 20 million Americans are filing for unemployment. Unfortunately, the actual Executive Order fell well short of that promise, but there is some room for hope.

While the initial order will last for 60 days, the Administration will re-evaluate the order after 30 days. That means we have the next few weeks to urge the Administration to expand the order.

The most disappointing aspect of Pres. Trump's order is that it doesn't stop the massive importation of guest workers. Freezing the admission of these guest workers would have the single, greatest impact on providing relief for the millions of American workers who have lost work since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last month's job loses were concentrated in the leisure and hospitality industries. These are the same industries that had been pressuring the Administration for the months leading up to the pandemic (and still do) to increase the number of H-2B low-skilled guest workers.

But job loses aren't limited to only lower-skilled jobs. Forbes is reporting that the high-tech sector is also concerned about how the shelter-in-place orders will impact their bottom lines, which could translate to high-tech job loses.

A Pause in Guest Workers

The most impactful thing the Trump Administration can do is to pause the guest worker programs. Wednesday's Executive Order only impacts green cards, so it will only have a tiny impact on the number of foreign workers entering the country, providing little benefit to American workers.

That's why it's imperative that the Trump Administration decide in these next four weeks to pause the admission of most guest workers.

In FY2019, the federal government admitted close to 1 million guest workers in addition to the 1 million green cards issued. Included were:

204,801 H-2A agricultural guest workers
97,263 H-2B lower-skilled, non-agricultural guest workers
188,123 H-1B higher-skilled guest workers
76,988 L-1 workers of transnational companies
353,279 J-1 Cultural exchange workers who typically work seasonal jobs

In addition, H-4 visa holders (spouses of H-visa holders) continue to receive work permits under an Obama-era rule. And the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program that allows foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities to work in the United States for up to three years upon graduation also remains in place. In 2018, 145,000 foreign graduates received work permits through OPT.

Suspending most, if not all, of these categories of guest workers would provide immediate relief to the 26 million Americans who have filed for unemployment over the last 6 weeks. It would guarantee that these workers truly are the top priority when the economy opens back up.

Rep. Gosar leads the way

Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona has already sent a letter to the White House urging it to suspend several of the guest worker programs listed above.

President Trump's proclamation is a solid step to ensure we put American workers first, but the Secretaries must recommend the suspension of additional guestworker visas and programs that undercut the American workforce. There has never been a better time to truly put America first.

We've posted a new fax on your Action Board for Pres. Trump, echoing Rep. Gosar's call for a suspension for most guest workers. You can take action by clicking on the following link:

https://www.numbersusa.com/message?ID=17984

CHRIS Chmielenski
NumbersUSA Deputy Director

NumbersUSA was quoted in most major publications this week, commenting on Pres. Trump's Tweet and Executive Order. Here are a few of the most notable instances:

N.Y. Times: Roy H. Beck, the founder of NumbersUSA, a group that presses for deep cuts in legal immigration, said that such a message (pausing immigration) would be a potent political tool as Mr. Trump faces off against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the election.

"Absolutely it's powerful," Mr. Beck said. "If he comes out with an executive order that honors that tweet, he really is telling voters, I get it. When you have job loss, you can't have immigration. That is the populist message that I think was his strongest suit in 2016."

CNN: "With tens of millions of Americans who want to work full-time unable to do so, most immigration at this moment makes no sense, and the President appears to be moving in the right direction to curtail it," said Roy Beck, founder and president of NumbersUSA, which advocates for reduced immigration.

Politico: "The president's comments reflect a sensitivity to a primary purpose of all immigration laws of every country, and that is to protect a nation's vulnerable workers," said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, which supports restrictions. "... to allow it (immigration) to continue at its current level at this time would show a callous disregard for those enduring deep economic suffering."

Washington Times: "It is really disappointing that the administration is not also pausing guest workers, who represent a much larger number of foreign workers than employment-based green-card holders," said Rosemary Jenks, vice president at NumbersUSA, which advocates for stricter immigration limits.

She said American technology workers will have to compete with temporary workers with H-1B visas, while those laid off from jobs in hospitality will see employers hiring H-2B workers.

"Americans would have done those jobs, if they'd been given the chance," Ms. Jenks said.

Earth Day Turns 50: Let's Remember Why It Started

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We just celebrated the 50th Earth Day. It came and went with minimal fanfare as the planet's inhabitants are concerned with more immediate matters. Still, let's take the time to reflect on why there is an Earth Day in the first place.

Congressman Gosar Requests Suspension of Additional Foreign Workers

Fri, Apr 24^th

Congressman Gosar recently sent a letter to President Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Secretary of Labor Gene Scalia urging critical consideration of the additional suspension of the H-1B, H4, L1, B1, B2, OPT Program, and further guestworker admissions in order to promote wages and fair opportunities for American workers during this period of rising unemployment and job uncertainty.

What immigration is being halted? Let's sort through the details

ROY BECK

Thu, Apr 23^rd

I'm sure you have heard a bewildering amount of descriptions of what the President's Proclamation will do to the number of permanent immigrants and temporary foreign workers coming into the country the next few months. Let's walk calmly through the details.

70% of Voters Support a Ban on Immigration in New Poll

Thu, Apr 23^rd

President Trump announced Monday he would temporarily suspend immigration as the coronavirus crisis continues. The public appears to agree this is a prudent idea. A poll conducted three days ago found that seven out of 10 voters support this measure.

Trump to Suspend Immigration Into the United States by Executive Order amid coronavirus

Tue, Apr 21^st

President Trump announced late Monday he will soon sign an executive order "to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States" in a drastic escalation of his efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic and boost the economy.