Sarah Bileti, senior counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd and chair of the firm’s Immigration Practice Group, joined Alaina Jackson, managing director at Global Detroit, for an immigration discussion at the Crain’s Detroit Business HR Summit on June 12. Crain’s later highlighted key takeaways in the article, “Work visa pathways remain open despite Trump's immigration stance.”
Despite growing anti-immigration sentiment and threats of mass deportation under the Trump administration, existing pathways for employment-based visas remain accessible, the speakers said.
“The good thing I would say about the current environment is a lot of the employment-based pathways have not really been impacted so far in the main process of it,” Bileti said.
Both Bileti and Jackson emphasized the advantages of an international workforce, particularly in light of the current national unemployment rate, which remains low at 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With labor demand outpacing supply, immigration can help address workforce shortages.
“For employers looking to begin hiring international workers, contacting a lawyer is important in order to learn about what steps they need to take,” Bileti said.
One strategic entry point, she noted, is hiring international students, who typically have authorization to work in the U.S. for one to three years post-graduation in fields related to their majors.
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