Trump launches new visa program for migrant workers at the request of farmers and hoteliers

After the tourism and hospitality industry raised its voice against the immigration raids that affected its oldest and most loyal workers, President Donald Trump listened to criticism and announced the launch of a new work visa program aimed at migrant workers, in an attempt to differentiate illegal immigrants with records and those who have been in the U.S. for years working honestly.

The program, according to Axios, will be administered by the newly created Office of Migration Policy, which operates under the Department of Labor. It will seek to eliminate tedious bureaucratic processes and expedite the issuance of visas for foreign workers in sectors where local labor is in short supply.

However, the White House clarified that the measure does not seek the regularization of illegal immigrants.

"This is not amnesty. It’s not amnesty lit. No one who is illegally here is being given a pathway to citizenship or residency," a senior federal government official told Axios.

Pressure from farmers.

The Trump administration's change of course comes on the heels of insistent complaints from the agricultural sector. ICE raids on farms, hotels, and restaurants -backed by Trump himself- generated many operational difficulties for hundreds of businesses that, historically, relied on foreign labor to operate.

In fact, the temporary suspension of immigration raids on farms and businesses in the hospitality sector was interpreted as a political gesture toward those sectors.

On the social network Truth, the Republican president himself acknowledged part of the mistake of the raids and promised that there would be changes.

"In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs (...) This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!"

Measure enough?

While the new program seeks to streamline H-2A visas for temporary agricultural workers, it is still unclear how the measure will be implemented and how the promised "fast track" will get to work.

Under Labor Department rules, employers must demonstrate that there is no local labor available before hiring foreigners, which can become a strong obstacle in practice.

Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said agricultural employers were irresponsible for not opting for these visas before the raids occurred. "They should have known this was coming. That’s not the way it has to be done. That is the business model they have followed. And they should have known eight months ago that they needed to start making adjustments."

Despite the criticism, an adviser to President Trump also told Axios that the new plan is also a clear signal to ICE agents, who will now have to leave "farmers alone."