On Monday, President Trump signed a proclamation to suspend the issuance of certain temporary worker visas through the end of 2020, cracking down further on immigration after signing a more narrow measure in April. The order applies to H-1B visas, H-2B visas, H-4 visas, L-1 visas and certain J-1 visas. It is the latest effort by the Trump Administration to satisfy immigration hawks and groups that argue American workers should be prioritized, especially amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Notably excluded from the ban were agricultural visas, known as H-2A or “guest worker.” Counter to many of the Trump Administration’s policies, his Administration has approved a quarter-million of these H2-A temporary agricultural visas, a 55 percent increase from President Obama’s final year in office. With the current wages and conditions for U.S. agricultural workers, maintaining a steady floor of these “guest workers” is crucial to keeping grocery costs from dramatically swelling.
Click here for a fact sheet about the proclamation.