The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a new program to streamline issuing visas for migrant workers following backlash over the administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
"Today, @USDOL took action to ensure taxpayer-funded workforce services are reserved for American workers — not illegal immigrants," Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer wrote on X, announcing the new labor guidelines.
The Office of Immigration Policy will help fast-track visas for foreign laborers. The White House has made it clear, though, that the initiative is “not amnesty” for illegal migrant workers.
“This is not amnesty. It’s not amnesty,” a senior administration official told Axios. “No one who is illegally here is being given a pathway to citizenship or residency.”
Foreign workers will need to apply from their home country before coming to the U.S. illegally.
Trump’s policy on immigration has led to some complaints from farmers that their crops are at risk due to a depleted work force.
In mid-June the president ordered ICE to pause raids on farms, hotels, restaurants, and meatpacking plants. Trump was not aware of the extent of the enforcement push and "once it hit him, he pulled it back," a person told Reuters.
ICE's more aggressive tactics, including raids in Los Angeles, have sparked protests and pushback from Democrats. Some Republican lawmakers have called on the administration to focus on criminal offenders.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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