Trump administration’s temporary immigration pause ‘a prudent, modest’ step during current pandemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration measure that primarily halts the issuance of family-based visas for the next 60 days as the U.S. seeks to stop the spread of the coronavirus is both a prudent and modest step, says Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) Vice President for Federal Affairs John Hostettler.

“As we work to get a handle on this pandemic, no one should argue with prioritizing the health and well-being of U.S. citizens and immigrants who are already here,” said Hostettler, who leads TPPF’s Washington office. “The reality is that this measure is very limited in scope. It primarily applies to immigrants who are coming to join their families, such as spouses and children of permanent residents, as well as the adult children and siblings of U.S. citizens. It doesn’t affect nonimmigrant visas, such as temporary guest workers, at all, nor immigrants who are seeking to enter the country in order to contribute directly to combating or recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak.”

As the economic fallout from the pandemic continues to severely affect the U.S. labor market, Hostettler said it is a smart step for the administration to also evaluate, as President Trump has ordered, nonimmigrant visa programs in order to make as many employment opportunities as possible available for unemployed Americans and current lawful residents during the challenging recovery period that is ahead for the country.

Hostettler and TPPF are currently advancing an ambitious, highly targeted agenda of recovery measures for the economic rebuilding of the country. Among TPPF’s top recovery policy recommendations are passage of the Workplace Recovery Act, cutting the payroll tax, permanently sunsetting or repealing any regulatory authority curtailed in the present crisis and making all suspensions of regulation permanent until specifically reinstated by appropriate lawmaking—not administrative—authority, as well as imposing universal and permanent tariffs on goods made in the People’s Republic of China by any firm.

TPPF’s full Recovery Agenda is available here.