14 Dec 2020
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (D-NY) and other progressives have drafted a George W. Bush-like corporatist immigration policy that insists the nation’s economic power is more important than Americans’ ability to earn decent wages.
“All of us are harmed when our outdated and biased immigration system does not respond to the needs of the United States,” says the draft congressional resolution that was provided to Vox.com by India-born Rep. Pramila Jayapal, (D-WA), chair of the far-left Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The plan says the federal government must adopt a border policy that “honors the courage and tenacity of [foreign] people who have moved to pursue a better life.” It is signed by Ocasio-Cortez, Jayapal, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Jesús García (D-Il), and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas). Garcia was born in Mexico. Jayapal was born in India.
738,000 Fewer Immigrants From Abroad
Immigrant visas are issued to prospective legal permanent residents by the Department of State (DOS), usually following a petition by a U.S. sponsor approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Before President Trump, 86 percent of immigrant visas were issued to the immediate family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents spouses, children, parents, and siblings (and their spouses and minor children). Fiancés and their children also receive a K nonimmigrant visa that provides a path to permanent residence, so they are also included in Figure 1.
Figure 1 shows immigrant visas issued by month under the Trump presidency compared to the average for the last fiscal year of the Obama administration (2016). Immigrant visa issuances were down 83 percent in October 2020 compared to FY 2016. Even before the pandemic, permanent immigration from abroad had declined by about 24 percent. Overall, there were 738,857 fewer immi