# POTUS plans to pause green card issuance: how does this help US workers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 22, 2020, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325 "2020-04-22T07:36:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/1 "2020-04-22T07:36:22Z")
The President announced yesterday he would temporarily halt issuance of green cards in an effort to help US workers regain their feet in this crisis. Sounds like a plan with noble intent. But I do not understand how this will help: If you really wanted to remove competition to US workers, you might want to: 1. Stop issuing all kinds of work visas, 2. More importantly, send back millions of temporary workers already in the US, 3. Maintain these restrictions for a much longer period than the proposed 60 days. But the president is planning on: 1. Not issuing the green card (GC) for 60 days. 2. That’s about it. Questions: 1. How can stopping people from getting that coveted piece of plastic help US workers, when non-immigrant workers on visas are going to be coming in as usual? 2. People waiting in line for the GC, who will not have their GC processed for 60 days, are still working with their EAD (employment authorization document). In most cases their spouses are working, too. How does this help cut competition? This seems like a toothless measure, even if the intent is noble. Do you agree that there is a need for drastic measures to protect US workers by limiting workers from abroad in the current situation? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/2 "2020-04-22T07:54:22Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > . . . This seems like a toothless measure, even if the intent is noble . . . I’d put it less charitably; this seems like a toothless measure, plus the President’s claim about the intent behind it is not plausible. The parsimonious explanation is that the real intent is not one the President can admit to. It has nothing to do with the welfare of American workers and everything to do with energing and gratifying his base, who don’t like migrant labour, and will readily assume that not approving green cards translates into not admitting migrant workers. > [@mandala](#): > > Do you agree that there is a need for drastic measures to protect US workers by limiting workers from abroad in the current situation? No. There is certainly a need to protect US workers, but the danger against which they need protection is not “workers from abroad”. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/3 "2020-04-22T07:59:34Z")
The POTUS is not worried about visa holders right now since traveling overseas is functionally impossible right now. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/4 "2020-04-22T09:43:09Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > The POTUS is not worried about visa holders right now since traveling overseas is functionally impossible right now. But there are millions of guest workers inside the US right now, “competing” with US workers. One assumes if you want to cut the competition you would want to deactivate this section of workers. I wonder if an EO could be used to do this but I highly doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/5 "2020-04-22T10:17:05Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > The President announced yesterday he would temporarily halt issuance of green cards in an effort to help US workers regain their feet in this crisis. Sounds like a plan with noble intent. But I do not understand how this will help: How is the intent noble? Also, there are a few categories for immigration. This is a broad brush policy that will negatively effect family members of American citizens. Again, how is any of this noble? ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/6 "2020-04-22T10:29:50Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > How is the intent noble? Also, there are a few categories for immigration. This is a broad brush policy that will negatively effect family members of American citizens. > > Again, how is any of this noble? The stated intent: to help US workers get back on their feet, find jobs easier, and reduce the massive unemployment going on. That is the stated intent and I do not find anything wrong with that; any president would want to accomplish that as quickly as possible. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/7 "2020-04-22T10:53:04Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > … > The parsimonious explanation is that the real intent is not one the President can admit to. It has nothing to do with the welfare of American workers and everything to do with energing and gratifying his base, who don’t like migrant labour, and will readily assume that not approving green cards translates into not admitting migrant workers. … Yep. > [@mandala](#): > > The stated intent: to help US workers get back on their feet, find jobs easier, and reduce the massive unemployment going on. That is the stated intent and I do not find anything wrong with that; any president would want to accomplish that as quickly as possible. It’s almost a philosophical puzzle: can a lie be noble? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/8 "2020-04-22T11:46:11Z")
His first statement said he was going to stop migrant workers, but I guess the business community leaned on him and told him to cut that shit out. At 10,000 feet, it seems like stopping migrant workers could help American workers in theory, but in practice, it would probably just cause disruptions in the food supply and leave fresh fruits and vegetables rotting in fields. Stopping green card issuance doesn’t do anything at all, since those people are already here and working. I guess there’s some marginal number of people who would have to go back home, but that’s going to be small. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/9 "2020-04-22T12:44:20Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > But there are millions of guest workers inside the US right now, “competing” with US workers. One assumes if you want to cut the competition you would want to deactivate this section of workers. I wonder if an EO could be used to do this but I highly doubt it. Aren’t green cards specifically for permanent residents? Deactivating is really different than pausing on issuing new certificates. I can think of several teachers I know who are permanent US residents working with a green card. Some are married to citizens. How on earth would removing their right to work and firing them possibly be a good thing for anyone? We’d have to replace a dude with a master’s in physics with a substitute. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/10 "2020-04-22T13:02:02Z")
**Moderator Action** Moving thread from Quarantine Zone to Politics and Elections. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/11 "2020-04-22T14:15:51Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > How is the intent noble? Also, there are a few categories for immigration. This is a broad brush policy that will negatively effect family members of American citizens. > > Again, how is any of this noble? Noble is probably too strong a word, but at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs, postponing for 60 days the arrival of new job seekers seems sensible enough. Other countries have imposed more severe restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/12 "2020-04-22T14:18:51Z")
If I understand correctly, this wouldn’t apply to, say, green cards that come via a foreigner marrying a U.S. citizen, it’s only for job-related green cards, right? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/13 "2020-04-22T14:23:41Z")
It makes his base feel good that he’s still dedicated to screwing over the “other”. As far as fighting the virus, it’s about as effective as the China ban that still allowed 60,000 people to come in from China. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/14 "2020-04-22T14:27:41Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > If you really wanted to remove competition to US workers, you might want to: > > 1. Stop issuing all kinds of work visas, > 2. More importantly, send back millions of temporary workers already in the US, > 3. Maintain these restrictions for a much longer period than the proposed 60 days. How would suddenly removing millions of customers from already-suffering businesses help American workers? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/15 "2020-04-22T14:57:27Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > But there are millions of guest workers inside the US right now, “competing” with US workers. One assumes if you want to cut the competition you would want to deactivate this section of workers. I wonder if an EO could be used to do this but I highly doubt it. Don’t assume that the guest workers are actually competing with citizens. You’d have to evaluate that on a case-by-case basis. Right now, economic activity is at an all-time low, so it’s hard to tell what kind of competition is taking place. But my guess is that it’s little to none for the moment. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/16 "2020-04-22T15:03:53Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > **Don’t assume that the guest workers are actually competing with citizens.** You’d have to evaluate that on a case-by-case basis. > > Right now, economic activity is at an all-time low, so it’s hard to tell what kind of competition is taking place. But my guess is that it’s little to none for the moment. Bolding mine. I believe that this is the biggest misconception in the whole “guest worker” issue. I spent a lot of years working in the car business and if there were citizens willing to do certain jobs for pretty low pay (that were being done by “guests”), they’d have been hired. There weren’t. I’m pretty sure that is still the case. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/17 "2020-04-22T15:47:43Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If I understand correctly, this wouldn’t apply to, say, green cards that come via a foreigner marrying a U.S. citizen, it’s only for job-related green cards, right? This suggests that it applies to all new green card issuances, including family-based green cards, which account for the majority: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/coronavirus-trump-suspend-immigration/2020/04/21/464e2440-838d-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/coronavirus-trump-suspend-immigration/2020/04/21/464e2440-838d-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7_story.html) ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/18 "2020-04-22T15:59:18Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Noble is probably too strong a word, but at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs, **postponing for 60 days the arrival of new job seekers seems sensible enough.** OK, that would be one approach. But pausing green card issuance is an entirely separate action that has zero to do with the arrival of new job seekers in practice. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/19 "2020-04-22T17:11:05Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > OK, that would be one approach. But pausing green card issuance is an entirely separate action that has zero to do with the arrival of new job seekers in practice. I, for one, will be shocked if we find out that this policy is not too well thought out and won’t have the intended benefits to American workers. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325/20 "2020-04-22T17:20:54Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > This suggests that it applies to all new green card issuances, including family-based green cards, which account for the majority: > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/coronavirus-trump-suspend-immigration/2020/04/21/464e2440-838d-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/coronavirus-trump-suspend-immigration/2020/04/21/464e2440-838d-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7_story.html) Hmm, I just read that it won’t apply to immediate family if American citizens. From the NYT: “Officials said on Tuesday that American citizens seeking to bring their children or spouses to the United States would still be allowed to do so. “ > **[Trump Halts New Green Cards, but Backs Off Broader Immigration Ban (Published...](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-immigration-ban.html)** > > After pledging on Twitter to end immigration during the pandemic, President Trump moved to block new green cards but stopped short of ending all work visas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-plans-to-pause-green-card-issuance-how-does-this-help-us-workers/852325.md?page=2)