Welcome to Cucktopia: Trump to Expand H-2B Guest Worker Program
By Steve Berman | May 26, 2017, 02:00pm | @stevengberman The latest theme park to open under the Trump administration might be called Cucktopia. Because under President Trump, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly asked Congress to expand the H-2B guest worker program from about 66,000 workers to more than 135,000.
The Washington Times reported this week:
“We’ll likely increase the numbers for this year, perhaps not by the entire number I’m authorized,” Mr. Kelly said Thursday, tipping his hand somewhat.
Congress has authorized Kelly to exceed the highest number of visas ever issued in the program’s 30-year history. Under President Obama, the number of H-2B visas issued peaked at 94,304 in 2008, and settled in around 69,000 by 2015 (the numbers reported vary depending on the source used; I have cited Wikipedia figures, which cite the U.S. State Department).
Companies use H-2B guest workers to perform seasonal or temporary nonagricultural work that American workers are either unwilling or unavailable to do. The anti-immigration Center for Immigration Studies notes how the guest worker program has been abused.
Use of the H-2B program has morphed from its original intent to help employers that need seasonal and/or temporary workers. The majority of the program’s current users are neither small nor seasonal employers, but rather mid- to large-sized companies and recruiters that petition for H-2Bs to work for 10 months out of the year, year after year.
While many H-2B jobs offer low wages of less than $10 per hour, a substantial number of H-2B visas go to more skilled workers who earn up to $40 per hour. Industries that are particularly heavy users of the H-2B program include landscaping, forestry, hotels and restaurants, amusement parks and leisure facilities, and seafood processors.
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http://theresurgent.com/welcome-to-cucktopia-trump-to-expand-h-2b-guest-worker-program/
