A group of over 40 Democratic mayors and county officials have issued a call to President Joe Biden, urging him to provide employment opportunities and work permits to immigrants who have entered the United States illegally.
They argue that these new arrivals could contribute a remarkable $7 trillion to the nation's economy over the next decade.
The appeal, articulated in a letter, bears the signatures of prominent Democratic figures such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. They implore President Biden to compel the Department of Homeland Security to utilize its authority to grant parole to long-term undocumented immigrants and recent arrivals, thereby facilitating a process for streamlined work authorization.
The letter reads, "Our request is rooted in the belief that extending the dignity of legal authorization to work for our residents born in Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and other countries would be a positive step forward." It goes on to highlight the contributions of these individuals who have embraced the United States as their home, working diligently, paying taxes, raising families, starting businesses, and buying homes over decades. The letter also points out that a significant majority of Americans, including approximately half of surveyed Republican voters, strongly endorse the extension of work permits for individuals who have made long-term contributions.
The letter further emphasizes the relevance of this issue in key electoral states like Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, where approximately 11.3 million U.S. citizens share a home with someone who is undocumented. It underscores the vulnerability of both recent arrivals and the long-standing undocumented community to dangerous work conditions and exploitation, which often result from a lack of access to work authorization and the protections that come with it.
The Democratic officials recommend prioritizing worker safety and choice in the development of this program, and ensuring that a workers legal presence is not solely tied to their employment by a single employer. They commend the Biden administrations proactive stance in welcoming Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, and others through this policy. They also applaud the extension of work authorization to recent migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Honduras, Burma, El Salvador, and Haiti, but urge the same protections and work authorization opportunities to recent arrivals from Mauritania, Angola, Ecuador, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The letter cites the affirmation of legal scholars regarding President Biden's authority to extend work permits to long-term immigrants, and the support from over 80 members of Congress, American Business Immigration Coalitions 300+ Employers, CEOs and Associations, as well as labor organizations like UNITE HERE, the Teamsters, and United Auto Workers (UAW), as evidence of the broad consensus on this matter.
The Democratic officials acknowledge the challenges faced by the Biden administration, especially in responding to various priorities including Operation Lone Star. They argue that amidst Congressional inaction to fix the broken immigration system, this is a unique opportunity to change the tide from crisis to an opportunity, one that supports both new arrivals and long-term undocumented residents.
The letter suggests several thoughtful ways to initiate this process. For instance, the Biden administration could expand the existing program that grants parole to the spouses and parents of U.S. military service members to include the 1.2 million undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. A work permit program could focus on long-term undocumented individuals who have been in the nation for 10 years or more, or a parole program could specifically address Dreamers who are too young and ineligible for DACA.
The letter concludes by stating that legally allowing long-term immigrants to work will result in higher wages, shielding them from workplace exploitation and enabling them to contribute more effectively to the labor market. This, in turn, will lead to increased tax contributions, estimated at $13.8 billion annually. The Congressional Budget Office predicted that the GDP of the U.S. economy is going to be boosted by $7 trillion over the next ten years due to the contributions of new arriving immigrants.
Almost all of those who have signed the letter represent sanctuary cities, where Democratic officials protect illegal immigrants from deportation and often pay for their housing, food and other living expenses. Since Joe Biden assumed office back in 2021, approximately 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the country through the southern border, with that figure increasing every day. Numerous studies and analyses have concluded that the U.S. suffers economically as a result.
According to a poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, more than half of Americans want to see illegal aliens rounded up and deported, something that Donald Trump has pledged to do if he returns to the Oval Office.
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