A recent piece in the New York Times suggests that America may be rejecting legal immigrants in record numbers. According to government statistics from 2018, the Trump administration has blocked applications submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services at a 37% higher frequency than in 2016, when the Obama administration was still in office.
The article goes on to note that a report from the Cato Institute concluded that the Department of Homeland Security barred 11.3% of all requests to the immigration agency, including those submitted for work permits, travel documents, and status applications based on employment, reunification, and other reasons during the first 9 months of the year. This marks the greatest immigration denial rate ever recorded. On their current path, the U.S. government is on track to have rejected 620,000 potential immigrants by the time 2018 is over, up from 155,000 in 2016. Despite these findings, the overall number of prospective immigrants applying to come to the U.S. is down. The total number of applicants in 2018 has dropped by 2% since 2016.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security rejected 10% of applicants for employment authorization documents in 2018, in contrast to rejecting 6% in 2016. Applications for advanced parole, which allows for temporary residents to travel outside of the country and then come back, were rejected at a rate of 18%, which is twice as high as the rate of advanced parole rejections in 2016. Skilled workers are also being denied at higher rates now, with petitions for temporary foreign workers down 23% from 17%, and denials rising from 6% to 9% for permanent workers. Denial rates for family-sponsored applications and petitions for fiancés also went up, from 14% to 21%.
These shifting rates follow the Trump administration’s decision to increase the length of immigration applications by as much as two or three times, and make them increasingly complicated to complete. This has driven up the potential for errors, and made it easier to reject legal immigration applicants without letting them submit additional materials. The administration has also indicated that they may start monitoring caseworkers more closely, putting additional scrutiny on the entire process.
The result of all these policy changes is an overall drop in immigration within the United States, as well as a drop in tourists and travelers entering the country. This change comes even as the U.S. economy is growing, something which usually heralds more travel and immigration in a first world country. Federal reserve chairman Jay Powell has stated that fewer immigrants may slow economic growth, even as there are currently more available jobs in the U.S. than there are workers to give them to.
The message from the Trump administration is clear: They do no not want immigrants entering this country, legal or otherwise. This is why it’s more important than ever that skilled professionals like our attorneys at Garcia, Miranda, Gonzalez-Rua, P.A. are fighting for immigrants’ rights. Whether you’re looking for assistance with appeals, citizenship, asylum, or investor visas, our Hollywood immigration lawyers want to help. We have over 50 years of combined experience, and our team of professionals includes a former immigration prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge, so you know you’re getting comprehensive advice. Our firm offers compassionate counsel and thoughtful solutions for your legal issues, because when it comes to immigration, every case deserves to be heard.
Call Garcia, Miranda, Gonzalez-Rua, P.A. at (888) 340-8424 or contact one of our Hollywood immigration attorneys online to discuss your immigration case today,