AIR, U.S. Chamber Urge Provisional Worker Program

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Opinion - What We're Doing to Secure the Border

July 29, 2010

By Alan D. Bersin and John Morton

Wall Street Journal

Yesterday, after months of heated rhetoric and debate about Arizona's controversial new immigration law, federal Judge Susan Bolton blocked most of SB 1070 from taking effect. The move served as an important affirmation of the federal government's responsibility in enforcing our nation's immigration laws. But regardless of what happened with this case, this administration will continue to enforce the law, just as we have been doing for the past 18 months: with unprecedented resources and a clear commitment to serious, smart and effective enforcement that has yielded important results.

Editorials

NY Times Interactive Map

Visit this map at the NY Times Web site to see immigrations trends since 1880 for the United States. Use the tools to see which countries where immigrants come from to America. Also use the tools to see where immigrants are settling in America.

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Download AIR's informaton brochure about our organizations goals and strategies, and find useful contact information to help you or your group participate in our efforts.

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Join our growing network of Chambers of Commerce, and get on board the team for sensible immigration reform. Fill out the short form below and you'll be able to download our participation packet.

August 5, 2009

The Honorable Charles Schumer
Chair Subcommittee on Immigration,Refugees and Border Security
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Zoe Lofgren
Chair Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees,
Security andInternational Law
Committee on the Judiciary Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Schumer and Chairwoman Lofgren:

As coalitions representing employers from virtually every sector in the U.S. economy, we
applaud the renewed focus you and your fellow policymakers have placed on immigration
reform. We also appreciate the time you have taken recently to brief us and other
immigration stakeholders on your respective views on the process going forward. We look
forward to working with you and your colleagues to craft a workable, common sense solution
to the immigration issue.

Many of the broad elements of comprehensive reform are part of a growing
consensus: strengthened border security; the development of accurate, timely, employment
eligibility verification systems; resolution of the status of the current unauthorized
population; and process improvements for current legal immigrants. But we cannot forget
another key element of effective reform: future immigration. To truly fix the problem, a
reform package must ensure that America’s economy will have the legal workforce it needs in
the decades to come. It must create a legal system that is responsive to the U.S. economy.

The business community has often felt the limits of the current legal system. American
employers from many sectors – those who use high- and low-skilled workers – have felt
acute workforce constraints. And demographic trends make future workforce needs
inescapable, creating a clear need for a non-politicized, legal immigration system that
responds to the diverse economic needs of our various workforce sectors as they arise.

Any plan to address future immigration should be flexible enough to adapt to changing
workforce conditions, including new, emerging industries. And it should be able to respond to
the workforce needs of the nation’s myriad industry sectors in a timely and accurate fashion.

The existing broken immigration system offers many cautionary lessons for Congress and the
President. Policymakers must fix the system – with an eye toward both our current economic
situation and our nation’s future economic growth. The business community looks forward to
working with Congress to achieve the goal of rational, workable immigration reform that
benefits the United States and U.S. workers while maintaining America’s role as a welcoming
nation of immigrants.

Sincerely,

Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform
American Farm Bureau
Americans for Immigration Reform
Compete America
Essential Worker Immigration Coalition
ImmigrationWorks USA
Mexicans & Americans Thinking Together
National Association of Manufacturers
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

cc:

The Honorable John Cornyn
Ranking Member
Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security

The Honorable Steven King
Ranking Member
House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security
and International Law

About

Americans for Immigration Reform was founded by diverse group of Americans concerned about the destructive measures being taken or considered related to immigration and its impact on the business community, employees and consumers.

Americans for Immigration Reform

945 McKinney Street, Suite 563

Houston, TX 77002

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This coalition includes employers, professional associations, individuals, unions and other workers rights groups, minority groups, conservative/free market advocates, academics, and many others. We represent the political right, middle and left. We care about only the issue at hand, not partisan advantage, political posturing, or demagoguery.

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To accomplish our goal of passing sensible reforms, Americans for Immigration reform will commission academic and market research, communicate with Congress, the Administration, the news media, voters and all citizens, while actively advocating the creation and passage of legislation. We will provide the strategic and tactical leadership necessary to implement the critical change.

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