Work permits for Spouses of US Citizens and Long-Term Immigrants Strengthen the Workforce and Protect American Families
First scooped by Politico West Wing: A group of more than 40 mayors, led by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, delivered a bipartisan letter to President Biden on Thursday May 23, calling for work permits for both recent arrivals and long standing immigrants who have worked and paid taxes for decades and raising American families.
Organized by Cities for Action and the American Business Immigration Coalition, this letter is just the latest call from 40+ mayors, 120+ bipartisan lawmakers, 350+ employers, 1.1 million US Citizens directly impacted and advocates urging President Biden to grant work permits to long-term immigrants, protect American families, and strengthen the economy.
Here’s just a sample of what bipartisan Mayors, Lawmakers, Employers, US Citizens and advocates, are saying
POLITICO: A coalition of bipartisan mayors successfully pushed the Biden administration to grant work permits… May 23, 2024
By Myah Ward, Jennifer Haberkorn, Eli Stokols, Lauren Egan and Ben Johansen
“Earlier this year, a coalition of bipartisan mayors successfully pushed the Biden administration to grant work permits for some new arrivals, as Democratic cities struggled to deal with an influx of migrants being bussed by Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT. Now more than 40 mayors, in a new letter obtained by West Wing Playbook, are calling on Biden to expand work authorization — focusing on long-term residents who have been in the U.S. for more than 10 years — and to grant parole to the 1.2 million undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens.
“If Congress will not do what is required at this moment, we urge President Biden to use every tool at his disposal to support undocumented residents and new arrivals,” said Chicago Mayor BRANDON JOHNSON, who organized the letter from Cities for Action and the American Business Immigration Coalition.
“New York City is living proof that ‘The American Dream Works’ — our city wouldn’t be the greatest city in the world without generations of immigrants who have rolled up their sleeves and worked to shape this city,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams. “But we know that the only way to make the American Dream work is if we let people work, because work is the foundation of that dream. In the absence of any long-overdue comprehensive reform by Congress, expanded work authorization for immigrants is a win-win-win:
“As mayor of one of the fastest growing large cities in America, my business community continues to look for more workers to meet their workforce needs,” said John Giles, Republican Mayor of Mesa, Arizona “Issuing work permits for long term immigrants is a common-sense step that both helps the economy and relieves the financial burden on local communities.”
Advocates continue to argue that in addition to border security, affirmative relief could pay political dividends by energizing Democrats ahead of the November election. Biden’s statement today, at times, struck that balance, noting that not everything he wanted was included in the border bill, namely a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.”
CNN: Trump is pledging to deport millions. These employers are proposing a different solution
By Tami Luhby, May 23, 2024
“Lisa Winton of Suwanee Georgia is among the hundreds of business leaders pushing the Biden administration to allow more undocumented immigrants who have been living in the US for years to work legally. Many of them already have jobs, are more connected to their communities and have a better command of English…
Spearheaded by the American Business Immigration Coalition and joined by employers, federal lawmakers, local officials and advocates, the drive is asking President Joe Biden to provide work permits to more long-term undocumented residents…
“Expanding work authorization to more longtime immigrants will make it easier for businesses to fill job openings, as well as bring stability to employers”, said Rebecca Shi, executive director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, which has 1,400 employers, associations and executives as members.
“Our employers started asking, ‘Hey, what about our existing employees? People that have been working on our farm, milking our cows at 3 a.m. for the last 20 years, or people that are designing semiconductors in these fabrication facilities and have very high skills,’” she said, with work permits, the immigrants will be able to get better jobs that pay more – resulting in a boost to federal, state and local tax revenue, Shi said…
Steve Obert is a fifth-generation farmer in Indiana and executive director of Indiana Dairy Producers. If Trump wins the 2024 election and carries out his promise, it will hurt farmers, deport taxpayers and break up families, he said. Obert is among the business leaders advocating for more work permits for longtime undocumented residents.
“You will absolutely cripple the dairy industry in this country if they send these workers back,” Obert said.
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May 24, 2024
CNN News Central: Rift Among Democrats Grows As Border Bill Loses Support
Watch Congressman Tom Suozzi on CNN speaking to bipartisan common sense solutions to protect American families and strengthen the economy.
Sirius XM’s Mornings with Zerlina: AFU’s Ashley DeAzevedo and Allyson Batista Discuss the Need for Relief for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens
Ahead of the Senate’s vote on the Bipartisan border bill, American Families United President, Ashley DeAzevedo and board member Allyson Batista, joined guest host Alex Berg to talk about the need for affirmative relief for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. “We’re U.S. citizens and fourth generation Americans, the President can deliver a down payment on the commitment he made to our families. Please protect our American Families,” said De Azevedo and Batista.
10.6 million U.S. citizen adults live with an undocumented immigrant in the same household, including many in battleground states, and has the potential to impact the outcome of this election. Work permits for spouses of US citizens and mixed status families alone will generate $16 billion in additional taxes.
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In ABIC State News this week..
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Independent, Severe Labor Shortage: Business Leaders Unite in Milwaukee to Advocate for Immigrant Work Permits, James O’Neill, Director of Legislative Affairs for ABIC, May 23, 2024.
Jobs & Hire: Latino Officials Press Biden to Grant Legal Work Permits, Bargaining Latino Support Ahead of Election, May 23, 2024.
Telemundo Wisconsin: Presenta propuesta “Here to work” que otorgaría permisos de trabajo a inmigrantes indocumentados, Coalición Estadounidense de Inmigración Empresarial, May 22, 2024.
ABC WISN-TV Milwaukee: Local group urges Biden to grant legal work permits to long-term immigrants, May 22, 2024.
CBS WDJT-TV 58 Milwaukee: Latino leaders gather at City Hall, demand Pres. Biden extend work permits to long-term immigrants, James O’Neill, American Business Immigration Coalition, May 22, 2024.
WisPolitics: Voces de la Frontera Action: Demands Biden use executive action to provide work permits to long-term immigrants, James O’Neill, Director of Legislative Affairs, American Business Immigration Coalition, May 21, 2024.
ARIZONA
Prensa Arizona: Crece repudio a la HCR 2060, Enrique Sánchez, de American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), May 23, 2024.
https://prensaarizona.com/crece-repudio-a-la-hcr-2060/
FOX 10 Phoenix: Some Arizona leaders opposed to proposed immigration law, May 22, 2024. Duplicate: Head Topics.
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/some-arizona-leaders-opposed-proposed-immigration-law
Business reference . . .
KTVK-TV AZFamily Arizona News: Arizona Senate passes tough border security measure for ballot, measure heads to House, May 22, 2024.
Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, slammed the “job-killing” measure in her own emailed statement.
“Business leaders, border law enforcement, and bipartisan local leaders throughout the state who oppose this bill know it will not make us safer, instead it will demonize our communities and lead to racial profiling,” she said. “We desperately need more resources to secure our border, not empty political rhetoric.”
OP-ED
Arizona Republic: Congress claims to want border ‘solutions,’ but ignores practical steps that would help, American Business Immigration Coalition, American Families United, April 8, 2024.
