Citing recent polling that placed Republican and Democrat voters in support of strengthened border security policies and easier paths for immigration, the United States Chamber of Commerce and more than 430 business groups this week formed the LIBERTY Campaign to push for reform at the national level.
“Our elected officials keep talking about securing the border and fixing our broken legal immigration system, but nothing ever seems to get done,” Neil Bradley, U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive vice president and Chief Policy Officer, said. “And the problems just get worse. This coalition of over 430 business organizations has a simple message: ‘Inaction on border security and legal immigration is unacceptable.’ As a nation, we cannot afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We know there are reasonable compromises that can help secure our border and meet our workforce needs. We are pushing Congress and the administration to turn those compromises into law.”
LIBERTY, or Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reform This Year, began with a letter to members of Congress, calling for direct action on the border and workforce shortages nationwide. The members labeled the existing legal immigration system a broken affair, and Congress has been unable to act and secure U.S. borders. This, they argued, has led to significant costs for the American economy and a lack of access to global talent.
In their letter, these groups floated at least six areas they saw as ripe for compromise to break legislative gridlock and push for change, including:
- Increasing resources at the southern border and ports of entry
- Reforming asylum laws
- Modern employment verification reforms
- Increasing annual quotas for employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas
- Expanding essential worker programs to help employers address temporary labor needs for non-seasonal jobs
- Creating new visa options for international students, entrepreneurs, and other high-demand workers navigating the American workforce
Signatories to the letter and the campaign include representatives of numerous industries, from healthcare to manufacturing, hospitality, retail, construction, and more.