Now is the time for Congress to move forward on DACA, TPS and Other Immigration Reform Legislation to Support our Economy and Stabilize our Workforce

By EWIC

Congress has an opportunity to use the end of this legislative term to make meaningful changes to key immigration-related policy.  We hope that during the lame duck session Congress can address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to find a path for hundreds of thousands to remain in the United States.  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 DACA, TPS and other 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.

We understand the need to find immigration solutions at the border and in other key areas and urge Congress to work together to find a compromise and include it in any legislation that will pass before the end of the 117th Congress. 

The Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) was established decades ago and continues as a vital voice to advance business-centric, balanced immigration reform.  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 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.

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 also looks forward to continuing to work with all involved in the 118th to find a solution to the nation’s immigration policy problems.