Hub Highlights: Local Leaders Across 24 States Ask Pres. Biden to Issue Work Permits to Immigrants Ready to Rescue “Worker-Starved” Economy

WASHINGTON – In the face of pressing nationwide labor shortages, elected officials and local leaders from over 24 states across the country are imploring the Biden administration to urgently provide more opportunities for immigrant families in the U.S. to access work permits and legal protections through administrative actions such as expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and other changes that would facilitate access to work permits. As the country faces serious labor shortages, a growing immigrant workforce is already coming to the rescue of a “worker-starved” economy. 

• Pennsylvania Mayors Urge Protections for Immigrants in “Legal Limbo:” As first reported by City and State, six mayors – from Lancaster, Erie, York, Philadelphia, Scranton, and Pittsburgh – wrote a letter asking the President to protect immigrants in “legal limbo” — including Dreamers, those unable to return to dangerous home countries, and others stuck in the visa backlog. In their letter, the mayors outline three pathways that President Biden can deliver for these populations, which enjoy broad support with Americans.

  The letter was led by CASA, an organization that promotes pro-immigrant policies and also mobilizes voters in key states, including Pennsylvania.

• Florida Leaders Urge Biden Administration to Expand TPS for Nicaragua and Venezuela: Former U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel Powell and advocates in Florida pressured the Biden administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaraguan and Venezuelan nationals living in the U.S. Given country conditions that are too dangerous to return to, the advocates argued that immigrants deserve to live without fear of deportation and have a chance to work lawfully in the country they call home. With rising anti-immigrant attacks in states like Florida and Texas, the urgency to secure TPS protections for settled immigrants and their families is paramount.

  “If TPS is not expanded, many families are in danger of deportation, with the risk of persecution in their home countries,” said former U.S. Congresswoman Mucarsel Powell at the press conference.

• Over 30 Florida Elected Leaders Press Biden to Issue Work Permits and Protections to Long-Settled Immigrants: 30 public officials in Florida — including Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, Florida Senate Leader Pro Tempore Jason Pizzo, and Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell – similarly urged a path to legal status and work authorization for the immigrant populations that already contribute to the state’s communities and economies.

  As first reported by the Miami Herald, the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) spearheaded the letter asking the Biden administration to build on its efforts at the Southern border and address the needs of long-term immigrant populations already here.

• Governor Pritzker and Illinois Congressional Delegation Join Business Leaders Urging the Biden Administration to Address Labor Shortages: Today, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Senator Richard Durbin and members of the Illinois congressional delegation–including Representatives Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia, Delia Ramirez, Mike Quigley, and Jan Schakowsky–joined business and immigrant community leaders in a press conference calling on President Biden to expand work authorizations for long-term immigrant contributors and new immigrants to address the labor shortage crisis.

  The effort builds on a July push by Representatives Garcia, Espaillat, Correa, Soto and 35 other congressional members to expand parole and work permits for both new migrants and long-term contributing immigrant workers.

• Nineteen Attorneys General Call on President Biden to Remove Barriers to Legal Status and Work Permits: A coalition of 19 attorneys general united in a letter calling for the Biden administration to take immediate action in providing legal status and work authorization for immigrant families and asylum-seekers in the U.S. The letter calls on the administration to address prolonged delays in accessing work permits. Their collective voice emphasizes the crucial role that immigrants play in their local communities and economies, and the necessity of allowing them to work lawfully.

  “For generations, immigrants have come to New York seeking new opportunities for themselves and their families, and recent arrivals are no different,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “But bureaucratic delays and a lack of work permits are depriving new immigrants of the chance to create a better life here in America. Moreover, these delays are hurting our economy by depriving businesses of a much-needed source of labor. Immigrants helped build the Empire State, and I will continue to fight to make sure they are treated with dignity and have a fair shot at the American dream.”

As the nation grapples with the dual challenges of widespread labor shortages and the imperative to deliver action for immigrant communities currently in the U.S, local leaders, voters, and advocates have a clear message: the administration should take immediate action to ensure immigrant families, including Dreamers and nationals of destabilized countries, be given the tools to lawfully fill critical jobs, contribute to the economy and strengthen working families across America.

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.