Immigration Policies: 2019 and Its Impact on Immigration

Immigration has been a hot topic over the course of the Trump presidency. Immigrants have often been demonized, talked about as if they’re always dangerous or bad for America. The reality could not be further from the truth, but despite that, the political climate is raging when it comes to immigration policies.

On one hand, the Trump administration is looking to limit immigration, reduce the chances for people to cross into America illegally and to limit opportunities of H-1B holders and their employers. In all cases, the idea is that immigration is a threat to the American people who need work, providing jobs to those who aren’t from the United States.

It’s important to realize that H-1B holders are highly skilled, even though they’re foreign born. Many have skills not found with others within the USA or specialize in fields that have few professionals. The Buy American and Hire American executive order was put into place to encourage hiring within the country in 2017, but that led to a 41 percent increase in H-1B petition denials, even among those who had previously qualified.

Lawsuits have resulted from these denials, as some approvals, when made, were for as little as 24 hours or 12 days. Some even expired before the employer received them, making it impossible to bring the potential employee to America.

Some representatives want to see H-1B visa approvals rise again, but in exchange, would encourage businesses to keep work within America instead of outsourcing jobs.

In immigration policy, there is much uncertainty. Foreign student enrollment has dropped at U.S. universities, for instance. The number declined by 4 percent between 2016 and 2017. The number of students from India attending graduate programs in engineering and computer science also fell by 21 percent during that time. This downward trend is expected to continue.

A USCIS policy memo discussing unlawful presence might be barring many international students from entering the country. Limiting allowed lengths of stay to strict time periods also discourages students from coming to the United States, which hurts schools and reduces incoming funds that benefit all students.

Finally, there is the wall. The Trump Administration has previously said it would make Mexico pay for a wall to keep its people, and others from south of the border, from crossing into the United States. This is patently false, since the Mexican president said they have no intention to do so.