A data analysis by the Cato Institute shows a 37% jump in denials of immigration applications by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) since FY2016.
The increase in denials crosses all application types, including skills and employment-based nonimmigrant (temporary) visa and permanent residency applications, immediate family permanent residency petitions, work permit applications, etc.
In a related opinion piece, Cato‘s David Bier ponders why the administration purports to support legal immigration while its actions overall are thwarting it. Bier highlights additional measures since 2016 that constrain legal immigration at the same time that our labor supply is shrinking, which is a recipe for hampering economic growth.
You can find further explanation of changes where the administration’s immigration actions disconnect with our economic reality here and here.