Trump suspends work visa programs, impacting over half a million immigrants
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order closing off key immigration avenues for more than half a million workers and their families, The New York Times reports. His order suspends the issuance of visas for skilled and seasonal workers and for people participating in cultural exchange programs, and is expected to have broad ramifications in many industries including tech, hospitality, and academia—as well as the future of immigrants who have expended time and energy positioning their lives on the prospect of moving stateside. The Trump administration justifies its move as one that will free up high-paying jobs for American citizens, though detractors see it as yet another xenophobic maneuver among many. The order exempts visas for farm workers, a labor force that is largely unprotected and underpaid, and that doesn’t have a pathway to citizenship.
