The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, together with the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Retail Federation, and other business groups, has filed suit seeking to block the administration’s ban preventing entry of nonimmigrant workers, including H-1B and L-1 professionals, through the end of 2020.
As the head of the National Association of Manufacturers stated when it announced the lawsuit:
these visa restrictions will hand other countries a competitive advantage because they will drive talented individuals away from the United States. These restrictions could harm every corner of our economy, as evidenced by the broad coalition that has come together to oppose them.
The administration has couched its entry ban (which expands an earlier ban preventing entry of virtually all new permanent residents) as a protection against job competition during the economic downturn resulting from COVID-19. However, the CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce refutes that premise, noting that the bans are part of a larger pattern by the administration to restrict legal immigration, that will harm the nation economically. In a recent op-ed, he said:
(t)aken together, these decisions form a broader policy that essentially says, “keep out the skilled, the brilliant, the young seeking to help us grow.’ The administration…. should now take the opportunity to promote economic growth and job creation by rescinding last month’s proclamation limiting legal immigration and abandoning its efforts to repeal DACA.
To be globally competitive, the U.S. needs access to global talent. Several lawsuits against the administration’s entry bans are pending. Rulings are expected soon.