Opinion

America’s dysfunctional and increasing cruel immigration policy

Attending the annual Kiwanis Club carnival in Concord is a rite of passage for area youth. Kids arrive in tow with parents until that memorable year when they and their friends are dropped off in a test of trust and adventure. We feel for those who were poised to achieve that level of independence this year. The fair has been canceled for want of the seasonal workers required to erect and run the rides, and perform jobs local residents have no interest in filling.

Blame belongs to Congress, myopic foes of immigration, and most of all to President Donald Trump.

The H-2B foreign worker program provides seasonal workers to fill jobs primarily in the agriculture and hospitality industries. It is a small part of America’s dysfunctional and increasingly cruel immigration policy, but it’s having a big impact on bread and butter businesses crucial to local economies.

Miller Amusements, the company that has provided entertainment at the Kiwanis Fair for years, was awarded not a single visa for the 20 primarily Mexican workers it needs for the season. “We’re just dead in the water,” Joanne Miller told Monitor reporter Nick Stoico.

Landscaping companies, nurseries, hotels, restaurants and resorts are suffering a critical worker shortage. The problem is compounded by New Hampshire’s 2.4% unemployment rate. The relatively few who are unemployed want permanent jobs, are unwilling or unable to do the hard work performed by foreign laborers or simply need higher wages to survive in a state with a high cost of living.

The worker shortage is damaging the economy of a state that depends on tourism for a big chunk of its revenue. Congress agreed to issue 66,000 H-2B visas this year, half for the summer season and half for winter. Recognizing the impact of the quota, the departments of Labor and Homeland Security are making an additional 30,000 visas available, with eligibility limited to those who were granted visas in the past.

The increase may not be enough to help the NASWA Resort at Weirs Beach in Laconia, which normally hires foreign workers to fill many of its 140 seasonal jobs. It received none in the past two years. And it’s not holding its breath.

The administration’s recent action will raise the total number of visas granted this year to 96,000. On Jan. 1, the first day businesses were allowed to request seasonal workers, they asked for 98,000. Limiting or reducing the number of permitted foreign workers makes sense when the economy is in recession and unemployment high. It makes no sense now, a fact New Hampshire’s congressional delegation has pointed out to the administration.

There is a profound irony in Trump’s limit on seasonal worker visas. Most are issued to residents of Mexico and Central America, who typically send the bulk of their earnings home to their families. The money allows them to improve their lives or even move to a safer community or neighborhood. It helps to quell the desire to flee to the U.S. border, the desire to risk their lives to enter the country illegally.

The administration’s visa policy is making a bad situation at the border worse.

 

This editorial originally appeared in the Concord Monitor on May 2.

Online: bit.ly/2Vb6CRz

Avatar photo

As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.