Democrats flay Trump admin for changes in H-1B Visa programme sans public scrutiny

Democratic Party leers on Wednesday flayed Donald Trump ministration for bringing major changes in H-IB visa programmme just before presidential polls without public scrutiny. Reacting to criticism, ruling Republicans said move will dress abuses in high-skilled guest worker programme used to “displace” American workers with low-paid foreign labour. H1B visa is a n-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in “speciality occupations” that require oretical or technical expertise.

A day earlier, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) h anunced an interim final rule that narrows down definition of “specialty occupation”. It will require companies to make “real” offers to “real employees” by plugging loopholes and preventing “displacement” of American workers.

“With less than 30 days to go before elections, Trump ministration anunced that it will implement most sweeping changes to H-1B visa programme we have seen in deces—and will do so by skirting rmal tice and comment process required by ministrative Procedure Act,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nler said.

powerful Democrat from New York said while programme can certainly benefit from reforms, US laws require that public be provided with equate tice and a meaningful opportunity to comment before such reforms are implemented. “This simply cant be accomplished to degree required through an interim final rule and ministration kws this. This is clearly an attempt to score last minute political points,” Nler said.

In a statement, Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren said over years, she h introduced several bills that would reform H-1B programme to prohibit substandard ws and ensure that unscrupulous employers don’t abuse system to detriment of US workers.

“Yet, while system needs updating, changes this substantial must t be rushed through without equate input from public,” she said.

“Furr, Congress set forth very clear parameters when it created H-1B programme and ministration has mitted that new DHS rule will affect more than one-third of H-1B petitions that have been lawfully filed and approved for deces,” she said.

Accordingly, as has been case with so many of this ministration’s "unlawful" policies, Congresswoman Lofgren said she expects this too will be quickly enjoined by court. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley applauded move to “crackdown on widespre abuses” within programme. “I have long expressed concern that H-1B programme, as it currently operates, undermines ws and job opportunities of American workers and contains inequate protections for American and immigrant workers alike,” he said.

“Inste of being used to fill legitimate gaps in labour force, H-1B programme is often abused to simply replace American workers with cheap guest worker labour. That abuse needs to stop and I strongly support efforts,” Grassley said.

Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday that while programme intended to allow employers to fill gaps in ir workforce and remain competitive in global ecomy, it has expanded far beyond that, often to detriment of US workers. Data shows that more than half-a-million H-1B n-immigrants in United States have been used to displace US workers, which has led to reduced ws in a number of industries and stagnation of ws in certain occupations, it said.

In a separate statement, American Immigration Lawyers Association opposed move. AILA president Jennifer Minear said foreign workers play a vital role in American ecomy but se regulations will create nearly insurmountable barriers to ir hiring. “t only do se rules inappropriately scapegoat immigrants for ills of our current ecomic downturn but y are also self-defeating,” Miniear said.

“se rules will undoubtedly hamstring a process proven to bring some of world’s best and brightest into American businesses. American workers and businesses only stand to suffer as a result of se changes until se rules are challenged and overturned in court,” he said.

“Contrary to narrative promoted by DHS and DOL and echoed by restrictionist groups, se rules will have crippling effects on American businesses and ecomy at large,” said Benjamin Johnson, AILA’s executive director.

“se regulations will lay groundwork for pricing out of foreign labour, which is essential to solvency of countless American businesses. Under guise of ecomic recovery, government is essentially halting pipeline of global talent needed for invation and ecomic success,” Johnson said. 

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