“It is not enough.” – ABIC Action Co-Chair Mike Fernandez
Miami, FL — Today, the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) issued the following statements in response to the recent announcement of a new migration enforcement process for Venezuelans, which includes the establishment of a humanitarian parole program for Venezuelans arriving in the United States as well as the application of the Title 42 policy to Venezuelans seeking asylum at the border.
Statement from Florida business leader, MBF Healthcare Partners Chairman and ABIC Action Co-Chair Mike Fernandez:
“Employers from across the country are facing a devastating labor shortage that contributes to rising inflation and creates supply chain bottlenecks. We hoped any new migration policy toward Venezuela would have taken such labor shortage into account, especially in my home state of Florida where help is direly needed in the aftermath of hurricane Ian. The new enforcement policy announced by the Department of Homeland Security last week missed the mark. It is not enough.
“In establishing a low and arbitrary cap of 24,000 beneficiaries, the humanitarian relief program does nothing to help solve our labor shortage problems. This is plainly not enough. Venezuelan immigrants have demonstrated their contributions to the economy, filling in critical roles that our communities and businesses depend on. They need more rather than less real legal pathways to come here with a work permit. Again, this program, unfortunately, does not accomplish that.”
Statement from Venezuela American Alliance Founder and President Maria Antonietta Diaz:
“The establishment of the humanitarian parole program for Venezuelans is a good first step, but not enough. Among Venezuelan American leaders and organizations from across the country, there are key concerns with the design and implementation of this program, specifically as it concerns the low and arbitrary cap of 24,000 beneficiaries, the inability of beneficiaries to utilize expired passports, and the deportation of Venezuelan asylum seekers to Mexico without protections for their human rights. We will continue to advocate for improvements to this program and to the administration’s response to the Venezuelan migration crisis.”
Statement from ABIC Action Florida Deputy Director Maria Corina Vegas:
“The new migration enforcement policy for Venezuela is disappointing. It is not orderly or humane to place an arbitrary quota on my fellow Venezuelan nationals seeking refuge from political turmoil and persecution. This policy fails to recognize that the Venezuelan displacement is on the same level as any war torn nation. It neither addresses our broken immigration system nor the labor shortage impacting our businesses and economy.”
ABOUT
The American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) was created to mobilize the power of American businesses and the general public to promote and advocate for sensible immigration solutions. ABIC Action works to develop and advocate for legislation, regulations, and government programs that promote common sense state and federal immigration reform to benefit the people and economy of our country. ABIC Action coordinates leadership among American businesses to provide a strong and effective voice in the national immigration conversation with the ultimate goal of passing sensible immigration policies.