EWIC Statement
October 11, 2017
Let’s move forward on Immigration Reform Legislation to Support our Economy and Stabilize our Workforce
The Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) was established nearly two decades ago and continues as a vital voice to advance balanced immigration reform that meets the needs of businesses operating in the dynamic economy of the 21st century. Among the principles we have long-held, today’s debate on Immigration Reform needs EWIC’s brand on national policy that includes:
- A workable guest worker program that properly accounts for America’s current and future workforce needs;
- An employment verification system that is easily accessible, fair, inexpensive, and efficient for all employers; and
- A realistic option for the 10-11 million unauthorized immigrants in an unstable status that are living and working in the United States to earn legal status.
EWIC is a broad-based coalition of national businesses and trade associations from across the industry spectrum concerned with the shortage of both semi-skilled and unskilled (“essential worker”) labor.
At the forefront of the immigration policy debate is the plight of those hundreds of thousands of immigrants in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status (DACA). These immigrants are hardworking individuals who are contributing to our economy, our communities and our industries. Legislative reforms will serve to help stabilize the U.S. workforce for both workers and employers. Failure to address essential workers in the reform debate will cause turmoil in industries already hard-pressed to find workers like construction, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing and create similar chaos in companies with such workers.
The chance to move immigration reform for essential workers is now; something that can be a reality in this new Congress. That is why we write today to encourage the Administration to support legislation to reform the immigration system. Passing landmark legislation like immigration reform requires Democrats and Republicans, the White House and Congress – all of whom are now engaged in the process.
We are encouraged by the importance Congressional leadership has assigned to relief for these groups of unauthorized immigrants in an unstable status. We believe legislation can and should move by the end of 2017 to provide certainty to U.S. labor needs and markets.
We urge all parties involved to move ahead with the legislative process, passing DACA immigration legislation that works for Americans, immigrants and the U.S. economy. EWIC looks forward to continuing to work with all involved to find a solution to the nation’s immigration policy problems.