WASHINGTON — A US federal judge on Thursday ordered a halt to the enforcement of a White House order that would block visas for skilled workers, such as engineers sought after by technology firms.
Amazon, Apple and Facebook are among tech industry titans and organizations that signed on to a court filing saying US President Donald Trump's move blocking visas for skilled workers hurts the country.
US District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction, ordering an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions, including H-1B visas relied on by tech giants for hard-to-get talent.
“We are grateful the court recognized the real and immediate harm these restrictions have meant for manufacturers right now and stopped this misguided policy until the court can fully consider the matter," said National Association of Manufacturers general counsel Linda Kelly.
The association was among groups that filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's ban, which was to last until the end of the year. — AFP, October 2, 2020
