President Trump is considering extending an executive order that has reduced foreign labor market competition against Americans while the United States faces a mass unemployment crisis as a result of local and statewide economic lockdowns.
Two sources who spoke to NPR on Wednesday said Trump is considering an extension to his June executive order that prioritized jobless Americans for U.S. jobs rather than foreign workers on visas.
The order halted H-1B visas, H-4 visas, H-2B visas, L visas, and J-1 visas to shore up scarce jobs for at least 17.8 million Americans who remain jobless and millions more who are underemployed. The order is set to expire at the end of the year.
NPR reports:
A clash has broken out between factions at the White House over whether to extend an expiring freeze on various temporary work visas, including those used by foreign high-tech workers and by au pairs, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. [Emphasis added]
…
The White House declined to comment and the Biden transition did not immediately respond to questions. The two sources familiar with the debate sought anonymity to detail internal White House deliberations. [Emphasis added]
This week, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) sent Trump a letter requesting he extend the order as the nation grapples with a mass unemployment crisis. The FAIR letter states:
Mr. President, putting American workers first has been your top priority, and Proclamation 10052 did just that. You withstood intense pressure from powerful business interests that continue to demand more cheap foreign labor, even as they have laid-off an unprecedented number of American workers. I urge you to extend this proclamation well into 2021 in an effort to further protect American workers and their families during these trying times.
President Trump Urged to Extend Order Halting Foreign Visa Worker Programs https://t.co/Auvv9WALXj
— John Binder 👽 (@JxhnBinder) December 30, 2020
Should Trump extend the order, he would likely set President-Elect Joe Biden up for a political battle as to whethert o prioritize jobless Americans for U.S. jobs or allow businesses and corporations to import foreign visa workers.
Today, there are 24.5 million Americans who are either unemployed or underemployed – all of whom want full-time jobs and whose labor market prospects are crushed when forced to compete against foreign workers.
Every year, the U.S. admits about 1.2 million legal immigrants on green cards to permanently resettle in the country. In addition, another 1.4 million foreign visa workers are admitted every year to take U.S. jobs. Often, Americans are fired and replaced by these workers. Many are forced to train their foreign replacements.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
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