Firms allowed to hire immigrant manual laborers expand to hire more Americans

The US government has recently enacted the largest shift in immigration policy since 1924. As officials restrict unauthorized immigration, they face a stark choice: create offsetting lawful channels for immigrants or shut the door to lawful immigrants as well.

So far, Trump administration officials have chosen maximalist restrictions on lawful immigration. They have cut, penalized, or suspended lawful admissions of refugees, students, high-skill workers, and self-sponsored workers. They have barred most or all visas for 39 countries. They have cut authorized immigration by more than…