Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Department of Homeland Security will be issuing 15,000 H-2B visas for low-wage temporary foreign workers for the remainder of the fiscal year. The announcement comes at the beginning of what the White House has called “Made in America” week. When asked how this policy aligns with President Trump’s consistent America First rhetoric, Homeland Security officials insisted that this policy does put America first, as it helps American businesses to prosper. Visas will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis, regardless of industry, as long as businesses can prove their firms would suffer “irreparable harm” without the use of foreign workers. Critics allege that American workers could be found to fill the labor shortages, and that this policy simply makes it easier for employers to exploit foreign workers.