US business groups sue Trump administration over H1-B, other worker visa rule changes
- The lawsuit argues that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority last month when he temporarily halted access to several employment-based visas
- Though Trump cited the coronavirus pandemic, his order does not bear a ‘rational relationship’ to the problem, according to the suit
Several big US business groups are suing the Trump administration seeking to throw out immigration restrictions, including those on H-1B visas issued to highly skilled workers with expertise in speciality fields.
The plaintiffs, which include the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation, seek to overturn “these sweeping and unlawful immigration restrictions that are an unequivocal ‘not welcome’ sign to the engineers, executives, IT experts, doctors, nurses, and other critical workers who help drive the American economy,” Chamber CEO Thomas Donohue said in an emailed statement.
NAM Senior Vice President and General Counsel Linda Kelly said “our industry should be laser-focused on leading our recovery and renewal, but these visa restrictions will hand other countries a competitive advantage because they will drive talented individuals away from the United States.”
Homeland Security, State and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the suit.