A new executive order from President Donald Trump could expand immigration restrictions as well as suspend various types of visas for foreign temporary workers, according to NPR.
The order, which comes at a time when unemployment has increased as a result of the coronavirus crisis, could affect some 240,000 foreigners looking to work in the technology, finance, and hospitality industries, as reported by Telemundo.
Said order would affect H1-B visas, L-1 visas, H-2B visas, as well as J-1 visas, and more details will be released this week according to what Trump told the Fox News network, adding that the plan will not affect workers who are already in the country, nor will it affect H-2A visas for agricultural workers or employees in the health sector.
"No matter how you slice it, this is shaping up to be a big win for American workers at a critical time," said RJ Hauman, government relations director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "We have some concern over potential abuse of broadly written exceptions, but there is still time for that to be addressed, both now and during implementation," Hauman said.
However, if the measure goes through, tens of thousands of foreigners seeking to immigrate to the United States to work legally will be affected. "The ban on H-1B visas, which are often used to fill very niche positions that are not easily found in the American workforce, will ultimately prove to be counterproductive and is an example of using a nuclear bomb to address a bar fight," said Leon Fresco, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration, according to NPR.
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