January 23, 2018
From the article:
The Trump administration on January 18 removed Haiti from the list of countries eligible for the H2A and H2B temporary visas for low-skilled workers.
It is unlikely that this decision, which was based on a longer policy process, was directly linked to President Trump's recent racist comments questioning why the U.S. accepts immigrants from countries like Haiti, El Salvador and African nations and why we don't bring in more from Norway.
Nevertheless, it is consistent with a strategy of restricting opportunities for legal migration, especially for less skilled applicants.
To the extent that President Trump's comments and policy moves reflect a focus on reducing the number of low-skilled immigrants, they also rest on bad economics. This approach is wrongheaded. U.S. labor immigration policy should focus on the current and future needs of the American economy, and should be informed by a systematic examination of the data.
Designing a policy that responds to these needs is what would put America and its economic interests first.