LIBERTY Campaign Applauds U.S. Senate Introduction of Bipartisan Border Security Bill

The LIBERTY Campaign released the following statement after Members of the U.S. Senate introduced a bipartisan border deal:

“The LIBERTY Campaign welcomes the bipartisan progress made in the U.S. Senate after years of gridlock to address the border crisis and institute commonsense reforms to our broken immigration system. The chaos and disorder on our Southern border has caused untold human suffering and significant economic hardship and disruption for many businesses. Our nation cannot afford to continue leaving these issues unaddressed, and this compromise is a critical first step towards securing our borders and fixing our broken immigration system. We look forward to working with Congress to pass commonsense solutions to our nation’s immigration problems.”

Common grounds: How to Reform the U.S. Immigration System with Bipartisan Support

From the U.S. Chamber’s Common Grounds video series:

The last time the U.S. conducted comprehensive immigration reform was more than 37 years ago, and a lot has changed since then. The U.S.'s immigration and border policies have grown more complex, creating challenges that impact citizens and non-citizens alike.

During the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Common Grounds event, Democrat and Republican leaders joined the Chamber’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Evan H. Jenkins, to discuss effective immigration reform practices. Together, they shared how they are fighting to improve this broken system.

The Future of U.S. Immigration with The Dignity Act 

Veronica Escobar, a Democrat representing Texas' 16th Congressional District, and María Elvira Salazar, a Republican representing Florida's 27th Congressional District, worked together to draft a bipartisan bill to address the new reality on immigration. The Dignity Act of 2023 bill aims to modernize and secure the nation’s immigration and border processes in a smart and just way.

“The Dignity Act… means that… if you don't have papers or are undocumented, ... you could live a dignified life in the promised land,” Salazar said. “That does not mean that you have to go towards the path of citizenship, but while you are here, you will be living a good life and contributing to the economy of this country, being a good person, [and] not committing a crime.”

The bipartisan act, sparked by a lack of momentum for immigration reform in Congress, comes at a time of dire need for change in the U.S. 

“The best way to manage a border is by recognizing that migration happens long before people get to the border and offering common sense solutions that way,” Escobar said.

The Dignity Act Calls for Border Modernization

The U.S. border lacks modernized systems — such as filtering technology that observes everything that comes into the country — leading to a lack of order. However, Salazar believes that the Dignity Act can change that.

“[With the Dignity Act], we solve the lack of … [workers], we end the asylum system gaming, and we know who's coming in,” Salazar said. “We're giving asylum to those who merit it, and those who do not. ... The fentanyl, we can stop, [and] we can improve the ports of entry with better technology, … [like] giant x-rays machines.”

According to Escobar, the Dignity Act is the most viable option presented in the last decade, offering a comprehensive look at challenges faced at the border and throughout communities nationwide.

“Not only will [the Dignity Act] address the undocumented population in the country,... change the way we operate at the border,... [by opening] legal pathways so that we're not stressing out the border, but … it creates in-country processing facilities so people don't … have to come to the border at all.”

Small Businesses and Individuals Can Help Make a Change

Small businesses aren’t immune to the impact of strict border policies. Businesses across the country are exhausted by the broken system and are calling for a change to aid in the nationwide worker shortage.

“Everyone is asking for help with our workforce,” Escobar said. “It's not just in El Paso. When I'm here in D.C., we get visited by corporations… [and] every single business group has implored that we do something … about building up our workforce.”

Salazar’s constituents in Miami have voiced similar concerns. “We need hands [in] construction, hospitality, [and] agricultural [industries],” Salazar said. “Those hands are here, but they're not legal.”

For local businesses and patrons looking to act, Salazar recommends doing three things:

1. Call your representatives and share your support for the Dignity Act.

2. Individually endorse the Dignity Act if you are a Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reform This Year (LIBERTY) campaign member.

3. Write letters to local editors in support of the Dignity Act.

“We want the involvement,” Escobar said. “We want people at the table. We want to make this a bill that in its entirety can get across the finish line.”

Watch the full Common Grounds conversation here.

real clear markets: We Need the Workers That the American Dream Is Attracting

By: John Motta, Chairman of the Coalition of Franchisee Associations
Op-ed available here.

It is no secret that the Washington establishment, both Republicans and Democrats, are increasingly frustrating to those of us who live and work outside of their DC bubble. As Chairman of the Coalition of Franchisee Associations, I have been travelling to Washington for years now, on my own dime, to talk and plead with our lawmakers regarding the critical labor shortage we have in this country. Yet after this last week of meetings, my level of frustration reached an all-time high as I believe our leaders have reached an all-time low.

In my lifetime, if anyone said that “jobs” was a major issue, it was because there was a lack of them available to people. Today, “jobs” is a major issue because we do not have enough people who work – and this problem is just as serious as any sky-high unemployment number we have faced in our country’s history. Much of today’s economic issues and problems, from supply chain, to inflation, to productivity and global competition, are a result of the lack of individuals who are willing and able to join the workforce. In fact, right now, there are more people leaving the workforce than entering it.   

For years, I have met with elected leaders and their staff in Washington and continue to press them on the issue of labor shortages. This last week, to my utter dismay, I was dismissively told by a congressional office, “Oh yes, we hear that all the time from all our constituents”.

If both Democrats and Republicans are hearing this from their constituents, those who work in the private sector each and every day and pay hard earned taxes, then why isn’t anything being done to mitigate this problem? If everyone agrees there is a problem, then together we should seek solutions.

To be clear, this is not a political issue nor is it a partisan issue, this is an issue that affects every American. Whether you go into a restaurant, a hotel, or you need an electrician or a plumber, you have seen the effects of the labor shortage. Yet, our elected leaders in Washington continue to focus on nonsensical soap opera drama while ignoring the major drivers of our labor and economic challenges.

Simply put, immigration is the only answer. Today, if every unemployed person in the United States filled a vacancy, there would still be 4 million job openings.

We have an aging population that is retiring from the workforce in record numbers and a plunge in birth rates. And the secret to our country’s growth and productivity has always been that our population continues to be economically enriched by those who leave whatever place they were born in, and choose to live in America. They say the most entrepreneurial thing a person can do is to leave where they live in pursuit of something better. I know this, because my parents were immigrants and first-generation Americans. I benefited from America and in the process also provided thousands of jobs and taxpayers in my lifetime. 

We need immigration reforms passed now to ensure our country maintains economic superiority in the world. It is critical that our economy grows and innovates, and immigration plays a key role, just as it has for decades in our history.

The private sector knows this and has started speaking out. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s LIBERTY Campaign – which calls for enhanced legal immigration to help fill America’s job vacancies, as well as increased border security – has been supported by over 440 business associations across the spectrum. It is through these types of efforts that we can only hope Congress will realize the severity of the challenges our economy is currently facing and take appropriate action.

Margaret Thatcher once said that Europe was created by history, and America was created by philosophy. The American Dream lives on in this country and we all benefit greatly from sound and just immigration reform, in fact our own livelihoods and personal economic security are dependent on it.

The American Dream is not dead. It lives on in each citizen born here or sworn in here. But right now the American Dream needs a champion in Washington. Maybe even a few of them. From both parties. The American Dream needs our leaders to not just listen, but act. The next great generation of Americans are ready to work, but only if we let them.

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LIBERTY Campaign Applauds introduction of DIGNITY ACT

The LIBERTY Campaign released the following statement on the DIGNITY Act of 2023:

The LIBERTY Campaign thanks Representatives Salazar, Escobar, Gonzalez-Colon, Scholten, Chavez-DeRemer, Manning, Lawler, Espaillat, Duarte, Wild, Diaz-Balart, and Lee for their leadership in cosponsoring the DIGNITY Act of 2023. This proposal is the first step towards addressing the problems our nation faces on its borders, within its asylum system, and in the antiquated manner in which visas are issued. We urge members of Congress to work with the DIGNITY Act’s sponsors to get these types of reforms signed into law.

Amid “Great People Shortage” Inaction on Immigration is Simply Not an Option

By Chatrane Birbal, Vice President of Policy and Government Relations for HR Policy Association

It has been more than two decades since Congress has acted on immigration reform. Employment opportunities are a primary gateway for migrants that enter the U.S. Recently, lawmakers have been conflating border control and needed employment-based immigration reforms to access global talent. 

HR Policy Association and 430+ business associations launched a new campaign, the Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reforms This Year (LIBERTY) calling on Congress to take action to address  employment-based immigration needs as well as border security.

In a dynamic environment, U.S. employers will face limited access to the global talent pool, putting them at a competitive disadvantage if Congress doesn’t address immigration reform. Employers continue to face an ongoing workforce shortage, which has already cost the country over $1 trillion in lost productivity.  Directly, immigration increases potential economic output by increasing the size of the U.S. economy, and expanding diversity, which helps drive innovation at American companies. A recent study estimates that immigrants are responsible for around 36% of innovation in the United States.  High-skilled immigrants help their American colleagues further develop innovations and increase productivity with the knowledge and fresh perspectives they bring from their home countries. So, consumers, communities, and companies, along with their employees, all benefit from employment-based immigration.

Absent congressional action the United States will remain stuck with an outdated immigration system which is restricting U.S. companies’ access to foreign-born talent and thereby stifling economic growth.  Large employers doing business in the U.S. are strongly committed to revitalizing the American workforce and economy, especially following the world-wide pandemic. With a low national unemployment rate at 3.5% in the U.S. many companies continue to have difficulty finding talent to fill certain positions because there is a skill mismatch in the American labor force. Companies are employing foreign-born workers to help fill workforce gaps—while investing in U.S. talent toward training and equipping the American workforce, largely focusing on vitally important fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  

But companies cannot go this route alone. We need lawmakers to act to align our nation’s immigration policies with the U.S. workforce needs at all skill levels to ensure global competitiveness.  As part of long overdue immigration reform, we need a system that is responsive to labor needs and one that creates an expedited and efficient pipeline for talent. Companies currently employing foreign talent are facing the potential loss of critical individuals due to backlogs and delays in visa renewal processes. A recent report found that it would take the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) nearly eight million hours of work to clear its current backlog. Compounding the issue even further, the USCIS has allotted 85,000 visas for fiscal year 2024 as part of its lottery for H-1Bs. The demand for foreign workers with skills in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering has continued to grow across the economy, far outstripping this annual cap.

Congress after Congress, immigration reform attempts have collapsed — including bipartisan efforts and those with strong presidential backing. In recent years, changes on immigration have been achieved only through funding bills, small provisions in other legislation, regulations and executive authority. Lawmakers need to consider that immigration policy is an important tool for economic growth as well as border security, recognizing security is an important component. Government inaction or action that reduces access to talent undermines the ability of American companies to compete in a highly competitive marketplace when it is needed at a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

Immigration reform is an employment and economic imperative. That’s why HR Policy Association along with others in the employer community are calling on Congress to take action through the launch of the Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reforms This Year (LIBERTY) Campaign. For immigration policy to be part of a pro-growth strategy, it should keep the economy a central focus. This Congress has a real opportunity to affect change and bolster America’s economy through employment-based immigration. Failure to act on immigration is no longer an option.

Chatrane Birbal is vice president of policy and government relations for HR Policy Association, representing chief HR officers of over 400 large employers and over 9% of the U.S. private sector workforce.

C-SPAN

(C-SPAN) – Neil Bradley talked about the debt ceiling debate and a campaign calling on Congress to reform legal immigration to help businesses meet their workforce needs.

Watch the full interview here.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Over Decades, Congress Failed Repeatedly to Address Immigration Dysfunction

(The New York Times) – For nearly a quarter century, as successive waves of migrants have tried to enter and work in the United States, presidents have appealed to Congress to address gaps in an immigration system nearly everyone agrees is broken.

Yet year after year, congressional efforts to strike a wide-ranging bipartisan deal — one that would strengthen border security measures while expanding avenues for people to immigrate to the United States in an orderly and lawful way — have fractured under the strain of political forces.

Read more here.

THE WASHINGTON POST: Opinion: Earth to politicians: The U.S. has too few immigrants — not too many

(The Washington Post) – With the imminent demise of Title 42, which led to the automatic expulsion of many seeking asylum in the United States, scary stories about an "immigration surge" and "border crisis" are reliably back in the news. Politicians have mostly taken this opportunity to fearmonger about how our country will soon be overrun with "illegals." Rather than stoking panic, they should find ways to match the overwhelming need for workers in nearly every field at home to the overwhelming demand for entry from people who live abroad.

Because right now there are least three major challenges that a revamped immigration system could help solve. All three require increasing legal immigration, rather than curbing it.

Read more here.

LIBERTY Campaign Launches with 430+ Business Associations Calling for Border Security, Immigration Reform

Press Contact

U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Carrie Healey, chealey@uschamber.com
HR Policy Association, Amanda Beck, abeck@hrpolicy.org
American Farm Bureau Federation, Mike Tomko, miket@fb.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, more than 430 business associations launched the LIBERTY Campaign (Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reform This Year) with a letter to members of Congress, calling on them to address the crisis at our border and the workforce shortage crisis before the year’s end.

The majority of American voters – both Republican and Democrat – support policies to strengthen border security and make it easier to immigrate to the U.S., according to a recent Fox News poll. Three-quarters of voters (73%) favor making it easier to immigrate and increasing the number of border agents at the southern border (74%).

The LIBERTY Campaign is comprised of over 430 business associations from all 50 states and spanning across a host of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, restaurants, hospitality, retail, construction, agriculture, engineering, and food processing, among others. LIBERTY’s letter to Congress reads, in part:

“When it comes to individual priorities, our organizations may differ, but the one thing we agree on is that another year of inaction on border security and legal immigration reform is not an acceptable option. The failure to enact reforms will deepen these current crises.

“That is why we have formed the Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reforms This Year (LIBERTY) Campaign, to call upon Congress to enact measures this year to improve our borders and our legal immigration system. Any progress that Congress can make can become the foundation for additional reforms.

“Ultimately, elected officials will have to negotiate what can secure the necessary votes in both Houses of Congress and the President’s signature. We are committed to working with lawmakers who share our view that finding reasonable compromises is the only path forward to securing our borders, averting further humanitarian crises, and meeting the economic needs of the United States.”

See the full list of LIBERTY members.