Amid budget negotiations, the president’s parole authority is a solution to strengthen the economy, fight inflation and address labor shortages
WASHINGTON – With President Biden reportedly on the verge of making “significant compromises” during ongoing budget negotiations, the bipartisan American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) is calling on the president and Senate negotiators to uphold humanitarian parole — a vital solution for addressing the devastating labor shortage impacting our nation’s economy and inflation.
Over 300 employers nationwide recently released a letter to President Biden, appealing for immediate action on expanding work authorization for long-term immigrant contributors and their families. “Business owners and industry leaders must be able to hire immigrants who want to work in the U.S. and contribute to our economy,” the letter urged.
If every unemployed person in the country found a job, there would still be more than three million open jobs, according to a recent report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent and our nation still faces a dire labor shortage.
“With the economy and raging inflation being a top concern of American families, negotiating away parole — a solution for the ongoing workforce shortage — would be baffling,” stated Rebecca Shi, executive director of ABIC Action. “Upholding the president’s humanitarian parole authority and expanding work permits for long-term immigrant contributors is vital to grow and stabilize the workforce and lower inflation for American consumers. We call on the President and Senate negotiators in both parties to keep the president’s parole authority out of negotiations.”
“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.”
“Contributions by immigrants to this country’s workforce and economy should not be understated. Many have been in this country for many years, paying taxes, working indispensable jobs that keep our communities running,” said Donnie Gibson, president of Civil Werx, a licensed general engineering contractor in Nevada. “And when taking the labor shortages across the country into account — it becomes crystal clear that we need immigrant workers.”
“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.”