Immigration Crackdown Has Racing Industry Worried
Feb 24, 2017 18:29:25 GMT -5
Post by cait on Feb 24, 2017 18:29:25 GMT -5
What do you think? Big problem for racing. Please reply only as this affects racing - this is not to start a discussion re the dictator wannabe lol
‘Galloping Toward A Crisis’? Immigration Crackdown Has Racing Industry Worried
Paulick Report
Tightening immigration policies and the recent increase of raids by immigration agents are threatening to lead to a major manpower shortage throughout the U.S. horse racing industry.
As Daniel Ross writes in The Guardian, the racing industry – from horse farms to racetrack backstretches – “could be galloping towards a crisis” since it is “heavily reliant upon undocumented workers from Mexico and elsewhere in Central and South America.”
The H-2B visa is the most common authorization used by foreign nationals that work in horse racing. The visa is capped at 66,000 annually. In the past, returning worker exemptions didn't count against that number. However, that exemption expired last September and it wasn't extended. As a result, there are only 33,000 April visas available while over 90,000 applications have been received.
Many trainers are very concerned that they may lose most of their workforce. “It's had an effect, for sure,” said trainer Dale Romans.
“I had 77 employees last year, and when there's all this uncertainty about whether you're going to be able to maintain that labor force, you don't know what to do.”
source = The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/feb/23/trump-immigration-crackdown-horse-racing?CMP=share_btn_fb
‘Galloping Toward A Crisis’? Immigration Crackdown Has Racing Industry Worried
Paulick Report
Tightening immigration policies and the recent increase of raids by immigration agents are threatening to lead to a major manpower shortage throughout the U.S. horse racing industry.
As Daniel Ross writes in The Guardian, the racing industry – from horse farms to racetrack backstretches – “could be galloping towards a crisis” since it is “heavily reliant upon undocumented workers from Mexico and elsewhere in Central and South America.”
The H-2B visa is the most common authorization used by foreign nationals that work in horse racing. The visa is capped at 66,000 annually. In the past, returning worker exemptions didn't count against that number. However, that exemption expired last September and it wasn't extended. As a result, there are only 33,000 April visas available while over 90,000 applications have been received.
Many trainers are very concerned that they may lose most of their workforce. “It's had an effect, for sure,” said trainer Dale Romans.
“I had 77 employees last year, and when there's all this uncertainty about whether you're going to be able to maintain that labor force, you don't know what to do.”
source = The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/feb/23/trump-immigration-crackdown-horse-racing?CMP=share_btn_fb
