WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Immigration Task Force, and Kathy Manning (NC-06), Chair of the NDC’s Workforce Development Task Force, led a group of 32 Members of Congress in urging the Biden Administration to improve its process around work authorizations for asylum-seekers and humanitarian parolees.
“As members of the New Democrat Coalition, we write to ask that the Biden Administration take immediate steps to distribute work authorizations to immigrants more quickly and efficiently in order to fill worker shortages and further bolster the economy,” the Members wrote.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, published October 3, 2023, the number of job openings in the United States increased to 9.6 million on the last business day of August 2023.
“Immigration is a key solution to U.S. workforce shortages,” the Members continued. “The U.S. economy is in a state of recovery, and we commend the Administration’s efforts to cool inflation and create new jobs. However, the cost-of-living and price of consumer goods remain high for working families. The increase in new jobs has also led to an increase in workforce shortages across key industries. Responsible stewardship of the economy must include immigration among other robust policies to complete our post-pandemic recovery.”
The letter echoes the calls from 126 employers who wrote to the Biden Administration asking to expand visa usage, and calls from 19 state attorneys general, including Arizona’s.
The letter is endorsed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association and FWD.us. Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Secretary Mayorkas and Director Jaddou:
As members of the New Democrat Coalition, we write to ask that the Biden Administration take immediate steps to distribute work authorizations to immigrants more quickly and efficiently in order to fill worker shortages and further bolster the economy.
Under current law, asylum applicants must wait 180 days before receiving legal work authorization, or an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). In practice, these wait times currently last for many months beyond the initial waiting period, in part because the Administration faces a backlog across application and petition categories, resulting in an overall lack of resources and capacity to keep pace with EAD adjudications. These delays exacerbate the short-term need for employees in key industries and impose financial hardships on migrant families who would otherwise seek work and contribute to our economy.
Immigration is a key solution to U.S. workforce shortages. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, published October 3, 2023, show the number of job openings increased to 9.6 million on the last business day of August. Workforce shortages are particularly concentrated in manufacturing, farm work, and hospitality-- – all industries in which foreign labor plays a critical role. Easing workforce shortages will benefit other parts of the economy, such as by reducing inflation and more efficiently meeting post-pandemic consumer demand. A study by FWD.us estimated that adults admitted to the U.S. under humanitarian parole contributed to about 25 percent of the decrease in job openings in understaffed industries which would otherwise have remained unfilled.
Business leaders in many of our states and districts have led the call for reform. On August 15, 2023, one hundred twenty-six employers called on the Administration to expand visa usage and give states the authority to act on their workforce needs. This proposal is also backed by a bipartisan group of governors.
The U.S. economy is in a state of recovery, and we commend the Administration’s efforts to cool inflation and create new jobs. However, the cost-of-living and price of consumer goods remain high for working families. The increase in new jobs has also led to an increase in workforce shortages across key industries. Responsible stewardship of the economy must include immigration among other robust policies to complete our post-pandemic recovery.
Comprehensive immigration reform must be led by Congress, and the New Democrat Coalition continues to call for common-sense, bipartisan immigration legislation. However, the Biden Administration should utilize its rulemaking authority to support employers and bolster the U.S. economy. To further remedy the workforce challenges facing these communities, we ask the Administration to take the following actions:
Coordinate with employers and stakeholders to develop policy proposals to shorten the waiting period for asylum applicants before they receive work authorization.
Continue aggressive efforts to prompt those migrants currently eligible for work permits to apply. We applaud the Administration for its campaign, beginning in September 2023, to inform the over one million migrants eligible for work permits that they are able to apply, and strongly encourage continued investment in similar programs.
Coordinate with local and state law enforcement officials to combat immigration scams targeting recent migrants, humanitarian parolees, and asylees. These scams are known to contribute to application processing delays and the overall backlog in the USCIS system.
We join the business community in calling for common-sense immigration solutions that lower costs for working families, support employers, and bolster our economy. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to achieve these goals.