Amid Budget Negotiations, Business Leaders Urge Congress to Protect Humanitarian Parole, an important statutory tool to combat inflation, address labor shortages and keep families together
WASHINGTON – Today, at a press conference, business leaders from across the country called on Congress and President Biden to protect humanitarian parole, a statutory authority used by both Democratic and Republican presidents alike to address immigration on a case-by-case basis.
During the event, organized by the bipartisan American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), the participants noted that parole can expand work permits, address labor shortages and fight inflation impacting everyday Americans. The speakers also pointed to a letter sent by ABIC Action to President Biden on behalf of over 300 employers from across the country, calling on Congress to do right by the economy, immigrants and all Americans.
“With unemployment just below 4 percent and raging inflation hammering every American right before the Holidays, Congress and the President need to strengthen and expand parole and work permits — not weaken it,” said Rebecca Shi, executive director of ABIC Action. “If Congress is serious about driving down inflation and labor shortages, it must uphold the Humanitarian parole authority and expand work permits for long-term immigrant contributors.”
Under current law, President Biden has the administrative authority to expand work authorization through parole, a program that allows people to work legally and remain in the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It is vital to safeguard this policy approach.
“Being an entrepreneur and business owner myself, I have experienced firsthand what it’s like to not find employees to fill critical roles within the homebuilding industry,“ said Bob Worsley, Founder of ZenniHome, LLC and former Republican Arizona State Senator. “I urge Congress and President Biden to preserve and strengthen the President’s parole authority, and give business owners and workers a chance to drive our economy forward. We need more construction workers, roofers and plumbers to build new homes. The only way our nation’s critical housing shortage will be addressed is by increased immigrant labor.”
“Removing parole authority would be a slap in the face to all U.S. citizens and their immigrant spouses,” said Ashley De Azevedo, president of American Families United. “Republican Senators Cotton and Lankford proposed codifying parole for undocumented spouses of U.S. military service people. Great — how about expanding it and including all U.S. citizens?”
“Maine is currently experiencing one of its tightest labor markets in recent history, with 42,000 job openings and only 42 workers for every 100 open jobs,” said Jenni Tilton-Flood, of Flood Brothers LLC, a farmer owned and operated dairy farm in central Maine. “Without access to the workforce that’s already here in the U.S., many businesses like ours will struggle even more to fill open positions. It is critical that Congress keep the parole program intact.”