President Biden’s recent decision to protect 470,000 Venezuelans from deportation is just another example of his mishandling of the ongoing migrant crisis. However, it is consistent with his track record of worsening the problems that have led to his low approval ratings. One aspect of this mismanagement is the White House’s interference with the H-2A and H-2B visa programs, which help employers recruit seasonal workers legally.
While these visa programs may not be well-known outside of labor circles, they have a significant impact on the overall economy. H-2A workers make up 10% of America’s agricultural labor force, and in New York State alone, over 16,000 H-2 visas were granted between October 2021 and September 2022. These visas are essential for getting migrants to work in rural New York communities that are in desperate need of short-term labor. However, Biden’s added rules and fees have made it harder to secure these visas, pushing many migrants to seek asylum instead. As a result, New Yorkers are subsidizing the costs of migrants, and labor vacancies remain unfilled. The migrant crisis in New York City has become so severe that Mayor Adams has even tried to send migrants to communities upstate.
The neglect of seasonal worker programs is both a political and policy failure. While makeshift migrant encampments in Manhattan overflow, countless small businesses in rural areas are struggling to fill job openings. This labor shortage contributes significantly to the headline-making inflation that is causing Biden’s approval numbers to plummet. Many of the migrants currently crowded in New York would be willing to work if they could secure the necessary H-2 visas. Instead, they are forced to rely on the asylum system, which prevents them from legally working for 180 days, further exacerbating their dependence on local services. The costs of this situation are devastating, with Mayor Adams resorting to legal action against county governments that refuse to accept migrants.
President Biden’s constant imposition of burdensome rules and regulations is making it increasingly difficult for businesses to secure the migrant labor they need. Local communities in New York would prefer legal visa holders over asylum seekers, who often arrive without employment opportunities. While countless migrants remain idle in New York City, economically depressed areas in the state continue to struggle with labor shortages. Under the new rules, upstate farmers who rely on the H-2A program could lose tens of thousands of dollars next season. The increased costs, paperwork, and mandatory employee tracking systems associated with the new regulations will disproportionately affect small farms and businesses.
Even before the new visa rules, farmers were already paying over $10,000 for each worker brought from abroad. With 65% of employers reporting that they won’t be able to afford agricultural visas this year, large farms will likely pass the costs on to consumers, and many small farms will be forced to shut down altogether. This will further increase food and grocery prices for households already spending more than 30% of their disposable income on these items. In a strange twist of irony, Biden is not only burdening H-2 programs with unnecessary red tape but also raising visa fees by over 130% to pay for new asylum applications. This will especially hurt New York employers who rely on H-2B visas for landscaping and hospitality jobs. The fee hikes will create a vicious cycle where businesses are priced out of work visas, migrants struggle to find legal sponsors, and asylum claims continue to rise, along with their costs to the city.
To address the issues of inflation and the surge at the southern border, Biden should reverse course and prioritize the fast-tracking of H-2 visa processes. US businesses, especially those in New York, urgently need access to these visas. By reducing the incentive for migrants to seek asylum and encouraging them to arrive as lawful workers, costs for small businesses can be reduced, and the affordability of goods and services can be improved.
The solution to these problems is clear and simple, yet it seems to elude the President. By making H-2 visas more attainable, Biden can tackle two major political challenges and create a system of migration that is orderly, fair, and beneficial to local tax bases. This solution does not involve making arbitrary concessions for specific groups like Venezuelans.
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