President Trump signed an executive order Monday evening, expanding his original immigration pause implemented on April 22 of this year. This extended pause includes several categories of temporary work visas and continuing the parameters of the first pause, both until the end of this year.
NumbersUSA applauds President Trump's unprecedented Executive Order temporarily halting the entry of certain immigrants and guest workers. No previous administration in our lifetimes has recognized the imperative of slowing the importation of foreign workers during an unemployment crisis.
For the more than 45 million Americans who have lost their jobs during this pandemic, this EO represents real opportunity to regain employment at a livable wage. Just as important, it represents an opportunity for American employers to broaden their recruitment efforts into historically underserved communities and prove that Americans will do those jobs.
By including significant restrictions in H-1B, H-2B, J-1, and L-1 visa categories in his newest memorandum, the President is following through on his promises to protect and extoll the American Worker by protecting their fruitful employment from the disastrous consequences of uncontrolled mass immigration, at ALL levels of the economic spectrum.
Soon after the President's first executive order, a Washington Post poll found that over 60% of Americans not only supported that decision but wanted an even more complete halt of immigration while the country dealt with the economic impact of the Coronavirus.
Extreme public support was matched by support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Several Senators and Representatives expressed their constituents' dismay and their own when it came to the notion of importing millions of foreign workers to take jobs in the United States while tens of millions of Americans were suddenly out of work.
Representative Lance Gooden of Texas 5th, who authored the house letter joined by a multitude of colleagues stated at the time; "In addition to the devastating unemployment figures, scores of businesses have to cease operations. There will still be too few jobs for the millions of recently fired workers when regular activity resumes. Allowing foreign-born guest workers to fill jobs at a time like this is an injustice against unemployed Americans."
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri who co-authored the letter out of the Senate with Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas stated on that issue; "As we work toward recovery, we urge [the President] to keep the American worker in mind and limit the importation of unnecessary guest workers while American families and businesses get back on their feet."
For months, grassroots organizations, American workers advocates, and college student groups have fought back against the donor class, Big Tech lobbyists, and the Chamber of Commerce in pushing Trump to expand the order to reduce foreign competition against nearly 45 million newly unemployed Americans.
These actions have seemed to help reveal to the American public the real impact America's current mass immigration system. The latest polls from ten swing states, conducted by Zogby Analytics commissioned by FAIR, showed that the overwhelming majority of voters said they want less immigration. Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, and Michigan were all states where approximately 60% of registered voters favored reductions in legal immigration, while nearly 45 million Americans seek productive employment.
NumbersUSA's Director of Government Relations, Rosemary Jenks, stated about the recent order;
This is a bold move and it's an absolutely necessary move. No matter where you are on the skill level, you're going to have a better opportunity to find your next job — whether you are lower-skilled and looking for a job in landscaping or construction, or whether you have some kind of STEM degree or are looking for a white-collar job.
The pandemic adds urgency and a justification for executive action to temporarily halt most immigration and guest worker programs during this current jobs collapse. But when the pandemic is over, the nation needs a Congress that finally will put the American worker first, and that will stop driving down wages with an immigration program that widens economic inequality by taking from poor Americans and giving to the rich.
