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Last June, former President Donald Trump issued a ban on foreign workers entering the U.S. President Joe Biden said he is not planning to renew the ban, which expires Wednesday. Biden lifted many Trump-era restrictions when he got into office but kept the work visa ban Trump instituted during the pandemic, upsetting many immigrant advocates. The ban affected skilled workers applying for H-1B visas and their spouses applying for H-4 visas. The Trump administration claimed that this ban would save 525,000 American jobs, even though most pandemic-related layoffs happened in industries that don’t employ many foreign workers with visas. Vox
In other federal immigration news…
HHS Requests Holding Migrant Children at 3rd Military Base
The Defense Department’s top spokesperson confirmed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asked the Pentagon to temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children at a third military base as more children keep crossing the border. Paso Robles Daily News reports Camp Roberts, an Army base between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is expected to receive 1,500 children. California’s HHS is working with the base to house children between the ages of 4 to 18 years old for about four to six weeks, until they can be placed with family or sponsors. Last week, the Pentagon agreed to temporarily house migrant children at Joint Base San Antonio in Lackland, Texas and Fort Bliss outside of El Paso. The Hill
Harris Meets With Guatemalan President
Vice President Kamala Harris had phone call with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Tuesday, where they agreed to work together to address the issues that lead to migration to the U.S. The two leaders “agreed to explore innovative opportunities to create jobs and to improve the conditions for all people in Guatemala and the region, including by promoting transparency and combating crime,” a readout said. Giammattei highlighted his interest for Guatemalan citizens living in the U.S. to receive temporary protected status, a statement from his government said. These statuses would allow people from countries facing conflict or major disasters to remain in the U.S. and work there. VOA News
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