The last time expansive immigration reform was passed by Congress and enacted was in 1986 – 38 years ago. A gallon of regular gas at the time cost 93 cents, and a dozen eggs cost 87 cents.
While our grocery and gas bills have changed dramatically, our country’s immigration system has not kept pace – even though the United States faces a looming demographic crisis, with population growth at just 0.1% a year, and too few workers to fill crucial roles across our economy. Both of these issues could be addressed through increased immigration.
Meanwhile, there is is overwhelming support for legislation that would address key components of our broken immigration system. Recently, a diverse group of leaders from the faith, business, agriculture, education, and national security communities, as well as advocates from across the political spectrum formed the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus (ANIC). The ANIC has worked to support bipartisan legislative solutions to secure the border, protect Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status holders, and strengthen our agricultural workforce.
In 2021, the House of Representatives passed legislation that received support from Democrats and a number of Republicans that would provide permanent solutions for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and the agricultural workforce. As the nation has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, these immigrant communities played an enormous role in maintaining our healthcare systems and keeping food on American tables. And they remain as essential as ever, strengthening our economy and communities every day. Recently, several House Republicans co-sponsored the Dignity Act – immigration reform legislation introduced by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) that provided for earned legalization and potential citizenship to those who desire it, among other provisions. The Senate should build on these constructive efforts to enact desperately needed bipartisan immigration reforms this year.
Farmworkers have maintained our food supply and ensured Americans have food on their tables throughout the past two years. Yet as many as 78% of them – including the undocumented, temporary guest-workers, green card holders, and naturalized citizens – were born outside of the United States.
About 130,000 TPS holders are currently contributing as essential workers, and nearly 30,000 DACA recipients work in health care across the U.S., yet both groups face continuing uncertainty surrounding their future in the United States.
Additionally, we can – and must – do better at using a safe, efficient and humane approach to managing our border. In addition to a clear plan from the administration, Congress can play an important role in providing resources and setting priorities. Across administrations, we've repeatedly seen sharp seasonal increases in migration each spring. Until Congress enacts meaningful reforms to the broader immigration system, we will likely continue to see this reoccur, with cartels and other transnational criminal organizations reaping the benefits.
The Senate should pass legislation to reform and modernize our agricultural visa program – creating a pathway to citizenship for current undocumented agricultural workers, enshrining worker protections, and expanding E-Verify to ensure that the agricultural workforce is authorized. They should also pass legislation that would provide Dreamers and TPS holders with certainty – protecting them from deportation and affording them an opportunity to obtain permanent legal status in the United States.
And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle should seize this opportunity to advance permanent solutions that promote border management that is secure, orderly, and humane, while addressing the root causes of Central American migration.
It’s time to permanently solidify the contributions of immigrants who are integral to our communities. Popular, practical immigration solutions will provide certainty to Dreamers, TPS holders, and agricultural workers and allow them to continue to fill important workforce needs.
Now more than ever, it’s clear that Congress should take long-overdue action to pass needed immigration reforms and work with administration officials to improve border management.