TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has long called on Congress to fix America’s badly-broken immigration system, is encouraged the Senate is considering H.R. 2579 as a vehicle for immigration reform that includes a solution for Dreamers. The Chamber urges the Senate to seize this bipartisan opportunity.
As the Senate begins consideration of amendments, the Chamber takes this opportunity to highlight several priorities. The Chamber may include votes on, or in relation to, to amendments addressing these priorities in our annual How They Voted scorecard.
- Permanent Relief for Dreamers: The Senate should provide permanent legislative relief for Dreamers such that as long as they follow the rules set by Congress, they will not be deported and will be able to continue to work or continue their education.
- Permanent Relief for Long-Term TPS Beneficiaries: The Senate should provide permanent legislative relief for long-term beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status program, such that beneficiaries will not be deported and will be able to continue to work in the U.S.
- No Reduction in Legal Immigration: A functioning immigration system should promote legal immigration, not discourage it. The Chamber supports reprioritizing how visas are allocated to better meet domestic economic and workforce needs, but strongly opposes any reduction in legal immigration. A reduction in legal immigration will hinder overall economic growth and only encourage additional illegal immigration.
- Bolstering Border Security: The Chamber supports responsible border security efforts and believes such measures are critical to any immigration legislation that can become law.
- Workable Agricultural Guest Worker and E-Verify Systems: The Chamber continues to support a mandatory E-Verify system based upon the Legal Workforce Act as introduced in the House. Any proposal that includes a mandatory E-Verify system must, at the very least, be coupled with a workable agricultural guest worker program.
We look forward to working with the Senate, the House, and the Administration to enact meaningful immigration reforms.
Sincerely,
Suzanne P. Clark
Senior Executive Vice President
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
