CEOs warn Trump team his bigoted immigration policy is hurting business
Trump’s immigration policies aren’t just cruel. They’re also bad for the U.S. economy.
The heads of several of the biggest businesses in the U.S. are warning Trump that his planned changes to immigration policy could hurt the economy.
“Inconsistent government action and uncertainty undermines economic growth and American competitiveness and creates anxiety for employees who follow the law,” the Business Roundtable, wrote in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen.
The Business Roundtable includes the CEOs of Apple, American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Visa, AT&T, IBM, Bank of America, Apple, JPMorgan, Pepsi and many other major American businesses that employ thousands of people and are involved in hundreds of billions of dollars in trade that affect the American economy.
The rebuke from business is particularly noteworthy, given the strong support usually expressed for Republican policies with that constituency. These companies and their leaders benefit heavily from legislation like the Republican tax scam, so their distance from Trump and his xenophobic immigration stance is stark.
“Companies now do not know whether a work visa petition that was approved last month will be approved when the company submits the identical application to extend the employee’s status,” the CEOs said.
In other words, the Trump team’s scattershot and haphazard approach to immigration, often motivated by racism and bigotry instead of any common sense, is making it difficult for business to know how to operate.
The group is calling for the increased availability of H-1B visas, which often go to immigrants with skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Trump’s immigration policies have already led to problems in hiring doctors and I.T. professionals, who often come to the country and work using H-1B visas.
One of the few varieties of work visas to escape Trump scrutiny has been the H-2B visa, which just happens to be the type used by many of the workers at Trump’s properties like Mar-A-Lago.
The CEOs also warn that the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation practices are scaring workers as well.
“Our employees are concerned that they will face removal proceedings even if they have complied with immigration laws and intend to promptly depart the country,” the letter states.
Trump’s immigration policy has gone so far off the rails that even big business — one of the most stalwart supporters of the Republican Party — is sounding the alarm.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
Recommended
Biden on abortion rights: President expects to give speech Tuesday on new Florida 6-week ban
‘Having the president of the United States speaking out loud and with confidence about abortion access is a great thing’
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix - April 22, 2024Biden calls for expanded child tax credit, taxes on wealthy in $7.2 trillion budget plan
President Joe Biden released his budget request for the upcoming fiscal year Monday, calling on Congress to stick to the spending agreement brokered last year and to revamp tax laws so that the “wealthy pay their fair share.”
By Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom - March 11, 2024Biden rallies Democrats in Las Vegas: ‘Imagine the nightmare’ if Trump reelected
With a primary win all but inevitable, President Joe Biden used his Sunday appearance in Las Vegas’s Historic Westside to rally his most vocal supporters in a battleground state that delivered for him four years ago.
By April Corbin Girnus, Nevada Current - February 05, 2024