Highlight need to strengthen workforce to create more jobs, lower prices and maintain edge against foreign competitors as President Trump promises mass deportations
Washington, D.C. — Today, in response to promises from President Trump and the 2024 Republican Party Platform ratified on Monday, 7/15 in Milwaukee to “Carry Out The Largest Deportation Operation In American History,” including by using the military to deport millions of long-term undocumented immigrant, employers and business leaders working with the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) warned against the catastrophic impact that mass deportations would have on the U.S. economy. American Business Immigration Coalition Action is a bipartisan group of 1400+ CEOs and employers around the country.
Below and available here is an open letter addressed to former President Donald Trump; Republican National Committee Co-Chairs Michael Whatley and Lara Trump; U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson; and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“As employers committed to building a great American economy, we are extremely concerned at promises of mass deportations being made by President Trump and other leaders.
“Like it or not, because of Congress’s unwillingness to tackle this issue with constructive solutions, our broken immigration system has led to our economy relying on the labor of long-term undocumented workers across key sectors including agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, health care and more. Many of these individuals have lived in the country paying taxes and contributing to our economy and our communities for decades.
“Simply put, it is not possible to ‘build the greatest economy in history’ while removing workers working diligently in key roles, in the midst of our ongoing workforce shortage. This would not only be cruel to immigrant workers themselves, it will force more operations to shut down and limit expansion, raise prices for American consumers, and further disrupt the lives of Americans in countless ways—delaying construction projects and home repairs, making it harder to schedule medical appointments, and closing down beloved businesses.
“As members of a bipartisan coalition representing thousands of businesses and workers across this country, we urge all elected leaders to get serious about common sense solutions that advance economic competitiveness, provide companies with the talent we need to expand our operations and create more jobs, and allow the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and citizens.
“The Biden administration’s recent actions granting work permits to spouses of U.S. citizens and Dreamers are an important step in the right direction. We encourage elected officials of both parties to listen to employer voices in your districts whose businesses put food on American tables, care for seniors, supply our military and power our communities. We need common sense, concrete solutions that recognize the contributions of long-term immigrants to our economy and meet the workforce needs of businesses large and small while keeping families together. Do not gut our nation’s workforce.”
The employers signing the statement include:
- Al Cardenas, ABIC Action Board Member; CEO, VITAL Salud
- Bob Worsley, CEO, ZenniHome LLC; Former Republican Arizona State Senator; ABIC Action Board Member
- Woody Hunt, Board of Directors Senior Chairman, Hunt Companies Inc.
- John Graham, CEO, Sunbelt Holdings
- Alonzo Cantu, CEO, Cantu Construction
- Jenni Tilton-Flood, Flood Brothers Farm
- Bill Lucia, Former President, Chairman and CEO, HMS
- Martin Eakes, CEO, Center for Community Self-Help
- Ben Conniff, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Luke’s Lobster
- Zoe Olson, Executive Director, Nebraska Hospitality Association (NeHA)
- Irayda Flores, Principal, El Mar de Cortez Corp.
- Steven R. Chanen, President & CEO, Chanen Construction Company, Inc.
- Janille Baker, Controller, Baker Ranches, Inc.
- Adam Goodman, President and CEO, Goodmans
- Rob Elias, President & CEO, Tucson Hispanic Chamber
- William C. Kunkler, III; Executive Vice President, CC Industries
- Manolo Betancure, Owner, Manolo’s Bakery
- Sam Sanchez; Owner, Third Coast Hospitality; Board Member, National Restaurant Association
- Michele T. Corigliano, Executive Director, Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association (SLARA)
- Chris Romer, President & CEO, Vail Valley Partnership
- William Diaz, Founder, Network of Casas de Venezuela
- Adam Lampert, CEO, Cambridge Caregivers
- Brenda Haupt, CEO, Globe Products Inc.
- Stan Marek, CEO, Marek Construction
- J.R. Gonzales, Executive Vice Chairman, Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce
- Cindy Ramos-Davidson, CEO, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Dante Galeazzi, CEO, Texas International Produce Association
- Aida Levitan, Ph.D., President, The Levitan Group, Inc.