A group of Republican senators want President Donald Trump to stop issuing work visas because of the state of the economy and lack of jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak, Politico reports.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is leading the charge to ask President Donald Trump to stop issuing “all new guest worker visas” for the next 60 days and other types of visas for a year “or until unemployment has returned to normal levels.”
Cotton’s letter to the president on Thursday is signed by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
“Given the extreme lack of available jobs for American job-seekers as portions of our economy begin to reopen, it defies common sense to admit additional foreign guest workers to compete for such limited employment,” they wrote in the letter to Trump.
The types of visas they want put on pause include H-2Bs, which permit non-agricultural seasonal workers into the U.S.; H-1Bs, which are for highly skilled applicants; Optional Practical Training program, which extends foreign student visas after graduation; and EB-5 visas, where an immigrant can receive a green card by investing in a U.S. business.
Trump already stopped issuing new green cards in April, but exempted students and guest workers. If approved, the measures would tighten immigration measures.
“These suspensions are critical to protecting American workers as our economy gets back on its feet,” the senators wrote.
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