As President Trump considers whether to extend rules limiting high-skilled and seasonal worker visas during the pandemic, he should remember that the economic recovery on which his presidency depends relies heavily on those immigrants, writes The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board. “While restrictionists have made examples of companies that replaced American employees with foreign contractors, these cases are rare,” they point out. “The economic evidence suggests that limiting H-1B visas reduces employment opportunities of American workers.”

The piece cites a University of Pennsylvania study which found that a previous reduction in the H-1B visa cap didn’t benefit American workers, and instead prompted multinational companies to outsource work to other countries. “If Mr. Trump wants high-tech jobs to stay in America, he can’t reject high-skilled workers. A new limit on legal immigration would be a gift to China and Joe Biden.”

Our running list of immigration-related executive actions during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here.

Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of Noorani’s Notes. Have a story you’d like us to include? Email me at [email protected].

BUSINESSES & COLLEGES – Businesses and academic institutions are among those asking President Trump to move cautiously as he considers expanding temporary visa restrictions, writes Philip Marcelo for the Associated Press. “Innovation thrives when there is cultural, economic and racial diversity,” said Gregory Minott, who came to the U.S. from Jamaica on a student visa and launched a career in architecture. Now a U.S. citizen and the co-founder of a real estate development firm in Boston, Minott worries that more restrictions could prevent others from pursuing similar paths. “To not have peers from other countries collaborating side by side with Americans is going to be a setback for the country. We learned from Americans, but Americans also learn from us.”

GOP SUPPORT – A majority of Trump voters want the president to protect Dreamers, adding to existing pressure for the administration to seek a solution for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients regardless of what the Supreme Court rules this month, Anita Kumar reports for Politico Pro [paywall]. According to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, 69% of respondents who voted for Trump in 2016 — when as a candidate he vowed to deport Dreamers — think that these immigrants should be protected. Among all voters, the poll indicates that public support for Dreamers remains incredibly strong: “Overall, more than three out of four registered voters say Dreamers should be allowed to stay in the U.S.” Be careful what you wish for, Mr. President.

KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON – Many Black immigrant domestic workers in Massachusetts report having lost their jobs or seen their hours reduced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, reports Shannon Dooling for WBUR. According to research from the Institute of Policy Studies and the National Domestic Workers Alliance, more than half of the 171 Massachusetts workers surveyed said they now fear eviction or having utilities cut off. “Black domestic workers have stretched their dollars to keep the lights on after losing jobs and income,” said Aimée-Josiane Twagirumukiza, an organizing director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “All of them have experienced these challenges while also facing the impact of police violence on their community.”

FELONY MIXUP – Four DACA recipients who joined a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Arizona are facing deportation after “confusion on the paperwork process” caused them to be charged with a felony instead of a misdemeanor, reports Laura Gómez for the Arizona Mirror. The day after their arrest, “a local judge released them due to lack of probable cause for arrest and agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took them into custody.” An attorney representing two of the protestors is requesting that all charges be dropped.

CHILD CARE – A program from Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is helping refugees launch their own businesses while meeting the community’s growing child care needs, reports Rachel Watson for the Grand Rapids Business Journal. “Hands Connected, which Bethany started in 2017, is a hub-and-spoke program in which Bethany, the Refugee Education Center and other partners provide support to men and women refugees from various countries so that they can become home-based or center-based child care providers through the program’s multicultural early childhood center. … After the entrepreneurs receive licensing for the care of up to six or 12 children in their homes, they become part of a home-based educator network serving refugee and nonrefugee parents.” As of the end of last month, Hands Connected included 16 licensed and open businesses.

ENGLISH IN ACTION – As reported by the Aspen Times, I am proud to be joining former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this Thursday evening as a speaker at the virtual summer benefit for English in Action, a nonprofit that helps immigrants improve their English. The organization is continuing to use virtual education to help its students overcome a language barrier that often prevents them from accessing government and nonprofit assistance. If you’re interested in joining, you can find more information here.

Thanks for reading,

Ali