Donald Trump’s administration is moving forward after his “shithole countries” comments to add policy to the insult and bar Haitians from getting certain types of visas.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that it would be prohibiting people from Haiti, Belize and Samoa from getting H-2A and H-2B visas. These visas are for agricultural and seasonal work respectively and are among the easiest for people to apply to get in these countries.
According to the DHS release, which was posted online on Wednesday before being published Thursday in the Federal Registrar, Haitians applying for the visas “present extremely high rates of refusal.” What’s more, they said, Haitians who do get the visas “have demonstrated high levels of fraud and abuse and a high rate of overstaying the terms of their H-2 admission.”
Encouraging illegal immigration?
But experts say that the move will only hurt the American economy and provide incentive for immigrants to come in illegally.
Michael Clemens, a senior fellow at the non-partisan Center for Global Development, told NBC News that hundreds of Haitians get visas to the United States through these seasonal and agricultural visas because it is the best option for them. Other visas require more education or other skills, and Haitians often don’t qualify for family-sponsored visas.
What’s more, experts dispute the idea that these immigrants are damaging to the economy.
“Haitian farmworkers on the H-2A visa that I have studied in Alabama added $4,000 to the U.S. economy per worker, per month,” Clemens said.
Suspect timing
It’s also hard to ignore the fact that this announcement comes on the heels of massive backlash over Trump’s comments on Haitian immigrants.
During a meeting on immigration last week, Trump reportedly referred to Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries,” prompting a wave of backlash and accusations of racism.