04.18.17

Durbin on Trump Executive Order to Review H-1B Program: Too Little, Too Late

CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing several government agencies to review the H-1B visa program. Durbin, who for a decade has sponsored bipartisan legislation to protect American workers from H-1B abuses, sent President Trump a letter more than a month ago urging him to keep his promise to reform the H-1B visa program before the April H-1B lottery. ‎

 “Though it acknowledges the negative impact of the current H-1B visa program on American workers, today’s executive order falls short and comes after tens of thousands of new visas were allotted to outsourcing companies during the Trump Administration. We already know H-1B visa abuse displaces American workers. President Trump already missed a chance to deliver on his promise of bold action to put American workers first. For a president who has prided himself on his swift action when it comes to immigration, an interagency review of the program is a guarded and timid approach. It's too little, too late.”