In U.S. Senate Judiciary DACA forum, ABIC calls on Congress to protect workers, lower costs, secure America’s workforce
WASHINGTON, DC — Rebecca Shi, CEO of American Business Immigration Coalition Action, testified alongside leaders from across the nation at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee spotlight forum held Tuesday, May 12 on threats to DACA and the renewed urgency to pass the bipartisan Dream Act, calling on Congress to protect Dreamers and stabilize the workforce that businesses, families and local economies depend on.
“DACA recipients are in the prime of their professional lives. They work, pay taxes, and help drive critical industries facing labor shortages, from nursing to teaching,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO of American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action). “For our employers, the uncertainty surrounding DACA has become an operational nightmare. When we lose these workers, we don’t just lose labor; we lose institutional knowledge and specialized skill sets that are impossible to replace overnight. Providing legal status for these essential workers is the only way to stabilize our workforce, lower prices and protect American jobs. Congress must secure the workforce and pass the Dream Act.”
ABIC Action represents more than 1,700 employers, from Fortune 500 companies and family farms to small businesses across the country. Dreamers remain deeply embedded in the American economy, with a 90% labor participation rate compared to 61.8% for the overall U.S. labor force, and many work in sectors already facing shortages, including health care, education, agriculture, construction, hospitality and manufacturing. Shi cited new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research finding that for every six immigrants removed from the workforce, one American citizen loses their job due to the resulting economic contraction. Up to $648 billion in future economic losses are predicted if DACA was ended.
Peter Guzman, President of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Nevada, emphasized the economic stakes for Nevada businesses and communities.
“Dreamers should never have to live in fear of deportation from the only home they have ever known,” Guzman said. “They are tax-paying, law-abiding adults who were brought here as children and have spent their lives building Nevada’s future. The fact that we still don’t have a permanent solution is simply unacceptable. In Nevada alone, 31,000 Dreamers contribute over $810 million to our economy and $82 million in state and local taxes every year. They aren’t just part of our community, they are the entrepreneurs and workers keeping our leisure, hospitality, and construction industries moving. Passing the bipartisan Dream Act is about more than policy; it’s about giving these essential Americans the stability, respect, and legal protection they have earned.”
Chef Byron Gomez, Chef and Partner at BRUTØ in Denver, Colorado, underscored the stakes for restaurants, farms and the broader food supply chain.
“I credit DACA for the career I have today, but as a chef and business owner, I see the cracks forming in the foundation of America’s workforce,” Gomez said. “When we don’t have hands in the fields to pick the crops or drivers to deliver them, ingredients literally rot and prices for our guests skyrocket. Dreamers are not just a part of the service industry; we are the infrastructure that keeps it standing and the workforce that sustains it.
“Businesses need stability and labor to survive, yet the lack of a permanent solution for Dreamers remains a direct threat to our nation’s food and labor security. We aren’t asking for a handout; we are asking for a pathway to properly belong in the country we already serve. We have done everything right, we are integrated into society, and we are fueling the nation’s economy. It’s time to turn down the noise of fear and pass the bipartisan Dream Act so we can secure the future of America’s kitchens, our farms, and our communities.”
ABIC Action called on Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act and advance immigration reforms that secure the border, stabilize the workforce, lower costs and create legal pathways for immigrants already contributing to the country.