Tripped up: Ballroom dancers say Trump immigration clampdown hurts business

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Immigration lawyers say numerous immigration hurdles have made it difficult for US industries, from ballroom dance to STEM fields, to hire foreign workers for jobs they’ve had a difficult time filling with qualified American applicants.

“I think these particular professionals, these artists, are falling into this area where USCIS and immigration services are just making it increasingly difficult to come here legally,” said Hartford, Connecticut, immigration attorney Erin O’Neil-Baker, who is currently representing about 10 New England dance studios sponsoring foreign, professional ballroom dancers. “Even if you’re an expert in your field, even if you have extraordinary ability, to stay here, they make it difficult.

The Government Accountability Office told members of Congress in late May it plans to investigate the report’s findings. Krikorian noted the Trump administration is not making up new rules, but applying existing law as it was intended, “instead of winking and nodding and looking the other way, which is what multiple administrations have been doing for decades.”

Dance studio owners said the lengthy delays and red tape can be discouraging for their prospective instructors, leading them to give up on plans to work in the U.S.Many of the dancers come from Europe, where it’s more common to learn ballroom dance at a very young age — with hundreds of kids in group classes — and to compete at much higher levels than in the U.S. There’s also a desire among foreign dancers who’ve aged out of European competitions in their early 20s to come to the U.S.

 

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Seriously. Is the most impactful story about Trump anti-immigrant policy that the AP could find?

This is a Deflection Story published to gather sympathy from as many as possible!

Casually of cracking down on those who abused the system! I'm OK with that, those who are vigilant at it and are deserving will prevail,

Seriously, This News Now. Trump2020

Uh... what? EpsteinCoverUp

We are all immigrants. America would be a tiny country without us all.

😂🤣😂

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