United States President Joe Biden is planning to allow a proclamation that had blocked many temporary foreign workers from coming into the United States to expire on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported.
The ban was enacted by Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump in June 2020. He later renewed it through to March 31 before leaving office amid a sharp increase in the unemployment rate due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump had constantly maintained that it was necessary to protect American workers.
Among those most affected by the restrictions are foreign workers on H-1B visa. It is highly sought-after by Indian IT professionals and allows employers to temporarily hire for occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
Biden, who has rolled back many of Trump’s immigration policies since taking office in January, is planning to not renew the proclamation, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The White House has not commented about this decision yet.
A federal judge in California granted a temporary injunction on October 1 after major business associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers and US Chamber of Commerce, filed a lawsuit against the ban. The judge had said in his ruling that Trump had “exceeded his authority” and his policy would cause “irreparable harm” to the businesses by interfering with their operations.
The Trump administration had filed an appeal against the order before an appellate court. In February, the court sought a status report from all parties by April 7.
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