A recent report by MeBIC partner New American Economy quantifies the declines in immigration during the Trump administration. They resulted from a host of factors, including processing delays, increased bureaucracy and processing barriers, attempted termination of programs such as Temporary Protected Status, and COVID-19 related immigration office and embassy closures, among others.
But the declines in approvals of naturalization applications, permanent residency applications, H-1B professional temporary worker visas, and downturns in international students attending U.S. universities preceded the pandemic and were seen in each fiscal year of the Trump administration.
For example, federal court rulings against the Trump administration in challenges against its handling of H-1B visas resulted a dramatic drop in H-1B visa denials in the 4th quarter of FY 2020 compared to the same quarter in FY 2019.
In an era of an aging U.S. population and low birthrates, the U.S. needs to streamline and facilitate increased immigration, not make immigration harder and less attractive to talented foreign nationals.
Read the data here.