The developer community advocate reiterates the importance of immigrants to the American economy.
Washington D.C., July 13th, 2020 — The Developers Alliance has signed on to an industry letter expressing concern over the Trump administration’s recent decision to extend the suspension of H-1B and other non-immigrant visas through the end of the year. In the letter, the coalition, organized by Engine, elaborates on the impact of the decision to American technology industries: “Halting the H-1B program and other non-immigrant visas may also drive jobs out of the country as companies choose to shift operations to countries with better access to the labor force they desperately need. Instead of perpetuating unfounded concerns that high-skilled visa holders are displacing American workers, the government should focus on assisting industries that are prioritizing U.S. innovation on a global scale with the assistance of high-skilled talent.“
“Skilled workers are in demand everywhere in the world,” said Bruce Gustafson, CEO of the Developers Alliance. “These policies send an unambiguous message that the U.S. is closed for business. The risk is that if the skills can’t come to us, our entrepreneurs will leave the U.S. for where the workers are. Rather than protecting jobs for U.S. workers, this policy just drives employers out of the country.”
“The administration’s policies harm startups and companies across the tech sector at a time when we need growth in these industries the most. Technology companies across the U.S. rely on H1B visas to staff their workplaces,” stated Developers Alliance U.S. Policy Manager Sarah Richard. “To rescind them now is detrimental not only to the current state of the US economy but for the American technology industry long term.”
In addition, the organization has released a blog post elaborating on its position, available here. The letter can also be found online here.
