WASHINGTON, DC (KELO-AM) President Trump's push against illegal immigrants may be having unintended consequences for South Dakota's seasonal workforce.
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R) says tourist attractions and construction companies in the state will be hurting this spring because of a lack of temporary workers from overseas.
"It impacts us perhaps more than some other parts of the country because our unemployment rate is literally the lowest in the nation, so we are disproportionately impacted when we can't bring in these temporary seasonal employees," says Rounds.
The problem is the H2B Visa Program for seasonal foreign workers. The cap for the number of such workers allowed in the U.S. has already been reached, leaving many South Dakota businesses without the seasonal workers they rely on during the spring and summer.
Rounds isn't sure why, but it may be because of the Trump crackdown. He explains that now some people who would have come into the country illegally are using the legal process, as are more employers, and that's put extra pressure on the H2B program.
"For people in South Dakota who have been doing it legally all this time, it means they have more competition, which means those slots fill up more quickly than they otherwise would."
Rounds says the problem may have to be fixed through legislation, but it won't go away anytime soon.