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A26 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 23 June 2020

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback guided by a Na-
tive American man, left, and an African man, right, sits in front
of the American Museum of Natural History, Monday, June 22,
2020, in New York.
Associated Press

Museum to remove

Roosevelt statue decried

as white supremacy

NEW YORK (AP) — The Ellen Futter, told the New
American Museum of Nat- York Times that the muse-
ural History will remove a um's "community has been
prominent statue of Theo- profoundly moved by the
dore Roosevelt from its en- ever-widening movement
trance after years of objec- for racial justice that has
tions that it symbolizes co- emerged after the killing of
lonial expansion and racial George Floyd."
discrimination, Mayor Bill "We have watched as the In this Sept. 5, 2017, file photo, a flag is waved outside the White House, in Washington.
de Blasio said Sunday. attention of the world and Associated Press
The bronze statue that has the country has increasing-
Central Park West entrance erful and hurtful symbols of Trump administration extends
stood at the museum's ly turned to statues as pow-

since 1940 depicts Roos- systemic racism," Futter told
Native American man and hasn't been determined visa ban to non-immigrants
evelt on horseback with a the Times. Officials said it
an African man standing when the Roosevelt statue
next to the horse. will be removed and where By DEB RIECHMANN and EL- Business groups had largely targeted family
"The American Museum of it will go. "The composition LIOT SPAGAT pressed hard to limit their members, drew a surpris-
Natural History has asked of the Equestrian Statue Associated Press reach, saying many of ingly chilly reception from
to remove the Theodore does not reflect Theodore WASHINGTON (AP) — The these workers are essential. immigration hardliners, who
Roosevelt statue because Roosevelt's legacy," Theo- Trump administration said The ban on new visas ap- said the president didn't go
it explicitly depicts Black dore Roosevelt IV, a great- Monday that it was extend- plies to H-1B visas, which far enough.
and Indigenous people as grandson of the president, ing a ban on green cards are used by major Ameri- The new steps to include
subjugated and racially said in a statement to the issued outside the United can technology compa- non-immigrant visas satisfy
inferior," de Blasio said in Times. "It is time to move the States until the end of the nies, and their immediate many, but not all, the hard-
a written statement. "The statue and move forward." year and adding many families, H-2B visas for non- liners' wishes.
City supports the Museum's Futter said the museum ob- temporary work visas to agricultural seasonal work- The freezes on visas issued
request. It is the right deci- jects to the statue but not the freeze, including those ers, J-1 visas for exchange abroad are designed to
sion and the right time to to Roosevelt, a pioneering used heavily by technol- students and L-1 visas for take effect immediately.
remove this problematic conservationist whose fa- ogy companies and multi- managers of multinational Other changes, including
statue." ther was a founding mem- national corporations. corporations. restrictions on work per-
Taking to Twitter, President ber of the institution and The administration cast the There will be exemptions mits for asylum-seekers, will
Donald Trump objected to who served as New York's effort as a way to free up for food processing work- go through a formal rule-
the statue's removal. governor before becoming jobs in an economy reel- ers, which make up about making process that takes
"Ridiculous, don't do it!" he the 26th president. She said ing from the coronavirus. 15% of H-2B visas, the of- months.
tweeted. the museum is naming its A senior official who spoke ficial said. Health care The administration is pro-
The museum's president, Hall of Biodiversity for Roos- to reporters on condition of workers assisting with the posing a new way of
evelt "in recognition of his anonymity estimated the coronavirus fight will con- awarding H-1B visas, which
conservation legacy." restrictions will free up to tinue to be spared from the are capped at 85,000 a
In 2017, protesters splashed 525,000 jobs for Americans. green-card freeze, though year and used by Indian
red liquid on the statue's The ban, while temporary, their exemption will be nar- technology giants as well
base to represent blood would amount to major rower. as companies like Amazon
and published a statement restructuring of legal im- Trump imposed a 60-day Inc., Microsoft Corp. and
calling for its removal as migration if made per- ban on green cards issued Apple Inc., the official said.
an emblem of "patriarchy, manent, a goal that had abroad in April, which was The administration wants to
white supremacy and set- eluded the administration set to expire Monday. That award them by highest sal-
tler-colonialism."q before the pandemic. announcement, which ary instead of by lottery.q