Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia On President Trump’s Proclamation

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s Proclamation: Suspension Of Entry Of Immigrants And Nonimmigrants Who Present A Risk To The United States Labor Market During The Economic Recovery Following The 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak.

“From his first days in office, one of President Trump’s top priorities has been protecting and supporting American workers and their families. Today’s Presidential Proclamation will help ensure that the millions of Americans who are unemployed due to the coronavirus are first in line to fill job openings. While we added 2.5 million jobs in May, there are still many more Americans unemployed and eager to return to the workforce.  Getting these Americans back into good-paying jobs is a top priority for the Administration, and the central aim of the President’s Proclamation. The Proclamation also ensures that certain nonimmigrants can be excepted from the suspension where necessary to facilitate the immediate and continued economic recovery of the United States.

“The President’s actions today are supported by important actions being taken at the Department of Labor to reform the H-1B visa program. The Department is strengthening wage protections and addressing abuses in the H-1B program, such as when non-U.S. workers are hired by one company to displace U.S. workers at another company.  The Labor Department is also increasing its cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security to identify businesses that misuse the H-1B program to the detriment of American workers.”