Issuance of H-1B visas suspended for the rest of the year

With Donald Trump's latest action further limiting the visas issued this year, it is clear that immigration will be the cornerstone of his reelection campaign.

Monday’s presidential proclamation temporarily blocks certain types of worker visas through the rest of 2020. The order applies to H-1B visas, H-2B visas, H-4 visas, L-1 visas and certain J-1 visas that apply to tech workers, seasonal workers, researchers and executives transferring to the US from positions abroad.

The measure largely closes loopholes in the president’s executive order that he signed in April that restricted green card access for certain immigrants trying to enter the country.

"We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens," said Trump in a statement.

The suspension will go into effect Wednesday, June 24. The restrictions will apply only to new work visas and not to existing holders who are already in the United States. Those visa holders who are outside the US when the order goes into effect will not be allowed to return to the US.

The proclamation will impact thousands of foreign workers in fields as wide-ranging from the high-tech workers in Silicon Valley to au pairs in the Hudson River Valley. The Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington, DC, estimated that they would block 219,000 temporary workers.

Trump said that between February and April, more than 20 million American workers lost their jobs in key industries where employers are currently requesting H-1B and L workers to fill positions. 

The order exempts workers deemed "essential workers" in battling the pandemic. That includes healthcare professionals and agricultural workers who harvest the crops.

Sundar Pichai, the immigrant from India who is Chief Executive of Google and Alphabet said he was disappointed with Trump's latest attempt to  restrict immigration.

"Immigration has contributed immensely to America’s economic success, making it a global leader in tech, and also Google the company it is today. Disappointed by today’s proclamation - we’ll continue to stand with immigrants and work to expand opportunity for all," Pichai tweeted.

Silicon Valley’s tech companies for years have relied heavily on the H-1B, pushing for an expansion to the annual cap of 85,000 new visas and arguing that they need more visas to secure the world’s top talent. Nearly 70% of the 85,000 H1-B visas issued each year go to  workers from India.

The Information Technology Industry Council, a high-profile lobby group for large technology companies including Silicon Valley giants Apple, Facebook, Google, HP, Oracle and Salesforce, told the San Jose Mercury News that Trump’s move came at a bad time, and urged him to reconsider.

“Today’s executive action stands to upend the ability of U.S. employers – in the tech sector and beyond – to hire the men and women they need to strengthen their workforce, re-power the economy, and drive innovation,” the group said in an statement emailed to the Mercury News. “At a critical time for the U.S. economy, it will have a dangerous impact on the economic recovery and growth for years to come. As U.S. companies get their employees back to work, immigrants working in the technology industry are vital to sustaining promising recovery trends, as well as supporting the United States’ ongoing response to COVID-19.”

It is certain that the presidential campaign will swirl around the economy and Trump's bungling of the pandemic. Immigration might not sway moderate voters but it will cement Trump's support among his base. It will also encourage anti-immigrant acts, already raw from the anti-Asian attacks blamed for the coronavirus.