FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2021

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Contact

Spencer Tilger | spencer@justiceinmotion.org | (646) 893-0691

 

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Justice in Motion Cautions Against the Expansion of Temporary Foreign Worker Visas 

 

BROOKLYN, NY — This week, 22,000 additional H-2B visas will be made available to employers, with 6,000 earmarked for citizens of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. With the expansion, the U.S. government will also require companies to take additional steps to hire U.S. citizen workers and allow temporary foreign workers to more easily switch employers. 

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Justice in Motion Policy and Advocacy Manager, Jeremy McLean, responded: 

 

“As currently run, temporary foreign visa programs tend towards a myriad of labor rights violations, including recruitment fraud, wage theft, and even human trafficking. While providing increased visa portability and strengthening the requirements for U.S. worker recruitment are important for reducing foreign worker abuse, these programs will remain ripe for worker exploitation. 

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“Expanding the H-2B program should not be viewed as a tool to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Central America. If the Biden administration truly wants to provide more legal pathways for Central American immigration, it should stop enforcing the Trump-era Title 42 policy currently preventing many asylum seekers from legally applying for safety in the United States, and focus on rebuilding a humane immigration system for all.”
 

For more information about this issue, read our factsheet: More Guestworkers Is Not the Answer and visit justiceinmotion.org/visa-pages for resources about specific temporary foreign worker visas. 

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Justice in Motion protects migrant rights by ensuring justice across borders. Our unique network of on-the-ground human rights defenders in Mexico and Central America partner with U.S. advocates to make sure that wherever migrants go, their rights will follow.