More than 100 Business Organizations Sign Onto Council Letter … – American Immigration Council |

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON,Nov.16, 2023Today,theAmerican Immigration Counciljoins over100business organizations, including chambers of commerce and trade associationsthroughout the country,tocall on Congress to remove the current barrier to getting asylum seekers work permitsquickly. Thelettercalls for the waiting period to be reduced from the current 180 mandatory days to30 daysandadditionalfunding for United States Citizenship and ImmigrationServices(USCIS) for faster work permitprocessing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are9.6million job openings, withan estimated6.5million peoplecurrentlylooking for work.Businesses are struggling with unprecedented worker shortages, especially in industries such as durable goods manufacturing, transportation, accommodation and food, wholesale and retail, and leisure and hospitality.

This letter wasorganized in partnership with the Refugee Advocacy Labandwasreleased alongsideagrowingmovementacross the countryledbygroupsincludingthe Asylum Seekers Advocacy Project, American Immigration Lawyers Association, and Refugees Internationalcalling for Congressional solutions to allow asylum seekers to get to work more quickly.

The following is a statement fromRich Andr, Director of State and Local Initiativesat the American Immigration Council:

Across the country, there are too many open jobs without enough workers to fill them. There is a solution in plain sight: let asylum seekers work quickly. The current barrier is statutory,and it requires Congress to act. There are several proposals currently introduced in Congress thatreduce the waiting period for asylum seekers to obtain work permits from180 daysto 30 and fund work permit processing so USCIS can increase its capacity to quickly process employees work permit renewals in the future. We urge Members of Congress to pass legislation that would make these crucial and critical changes that will bolster the workforce, allow businesses to grow, and further strengthen our economy.

The following is a statement from Kate Brick, Director of the Refugee Advocacy Lab at Refugees International:

As local economies face historic labor shortages, there is noreason whypeople seeking asylum must wait six monthsand often longerto access the workforce.Itsa loss for people who want toprovide fortheir families, for their communities, and for the businesses across the country who need their talent. There are clear, straightforward solutions on thetable,and we cannot afford for Congress to waste any more time in getting them across the finish line so people can get to work.

The following is a statement from Misty Chally, Executive Director of the Critical Labor Coalition:

The workplace looksvery differentthan it did pre-pandemic anditsputting an extra strain on business owners in service-related industries. Restaurants,hotelsand convenience stores are just a few of the industries struggling to fill positions which require employees to work in person. Lowering waiting periods for asylum seekers to receive work permits will help fill those positions, lower the demand for state and federalassistanceand strengthen our economy. Employers need workers and asylum seekers want to work thisshouldntbe a political issue.

Letter signatories include:

American Arab Chamber of Commerce

American Hotel and Lodging Association

Asian American Chamber of Commerce Pittsburgh

Austin Chamber of Commerce

Bartell Georgalas & Juarez LPA Co.

Berry, Appleman & Leiden

Biddeford & Saco Chamber of Commerce

Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance

Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut

Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce

Coalition of Franchisee Associations

Critical Labor Coalition

Dallas Regional Chamber

Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

Detroit Regional Chamber

EthiopianTewahedoSocial Services

Euclid Chamber of Commerce

Fifth Group Restaurants

Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce

Flint & Genesee Chamber

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce

Greater Houston Partnership

Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Greater Louisville Inc. -The Metro Chamber of Commerce

Greater Phoenix Chamber

Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce

Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

Holderbaum's Painting Inc.

Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce

Hudson County Chamber of Commerce

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce

Latin American Chamber of Commerce Charlotte

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Longview TX Chamber of Commerce

Maine Society of Certified Public Accountants

Maine State Chamber of Commerce

Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce

Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce

Minneapolis Regional Chamber

National Restaurant Association

National Retail Federation

New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition

New Mexico Chamber of Commerce

Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC)

Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association

Ohio Lawn Care Association

Ohio Life Sciences Association

Ohio Turfgrass Foundation

Opelika Chamber of Commerce

Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce

Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce

Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce

Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association

San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

Sandusky County Share and Care

State Business Executives

Texas Association of Business

Texas Business Leadership Council

Texas International Produce Association

The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

The Gallegos Corporation

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce

Vail Valley Partnership

Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber

The American Immigration Council has a range of research and other resources, including legal and policy experts available to speak on the subject.

For more information, contact:

Brianna Dimas at the American Immigration Council,[emailprotected]or 202-507-7557.

TheAmerican Immigration Councilworks to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring. The Council brings together problem solvers and employs four coordinated approaches to advance changelitigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. In January 2022, the Council and New American Economymergedto combine a broad suite of advocacy tools to better expand and protect the rights of immigrants, more fully ensure immigrants ability to succeed economically, and help make the communities they settle in more welcoming. Follow the latest Council news and information onImmigrationImpact.comand Twitter@immcouncil.

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More than 100 Business Organizations Sign Onto Council Letter ... - American Immigration Council |