Migrant Families Press Biden for Work Permits
Migrant Families Press Biden for Work Permits
The White House has unilateral options for unilateral relief, advocates say.
Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (IL) and Alex Padilla (CA) attended a briefing with migrant rights advocates at the Capitol on Tuesday about the legal pathways available to the White House to unilaterally offer work permits to millions of undocumented Americans.
"We need workers, desperately need workers," said Durbin, the Democratic Majority Whip, from Illinois. There are currently 9.5 million job openings in the U.S., according to the right-leaning Chamber of Commerce which has long-championed permanent relief for undocufolk.
At the briefing, Padilla spoke eloquently of his family's migrant experience before pointing out the glaring deficiencies in the highly-touted senate bill negotiated earlier this year by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and James Lankford (R-OK).
“The border security package that was negotiated over the last several months that the Republicans ended up walking away from — even that would not have helped a single dreamer, would not have protected a single farm worker, not a single undocumented essential worker, essential workers who worked in fields recognized by the Trump administration as essential to the safety of our country and our economy, not one of them would have benefited,” said Padilla.
The briefing was hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) and included representatives from American Families United, Fwd.us, and other migrant rights groups. At least two hospitality workers unions were also present at the briefing. “The best protection for the undocumented is a union card,” said a representative from United Here Local 23.
Tuesday’s briefing is one of a series of actions planned for this week by migrant rights advocates pushing Biden for more work permits. The White House has already allocated 1.4 million work permits for newly arrived migrants, but advocates insist that the administration can do more to help two groups in particular
Citizen spouses of long-term undocumented residents
Migrants from countries that have not yet been designated for Temporary Protective Status, but could be.
ABIC returns to the Hill on Wednesday for a press conference hosted by Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL) at 3:15 pm ET.
On March 23, Durbin led a group of 19 Democratic Senators in a letter to the Biden administration demanding relief for the millions of long-term U.S. residents. The letter called on the White House to do more for migrants, including authorizing more work permits, as the administration reportedly considers more executive orders to restrict immigration.
The letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Ben Ray Lujan (NM), Bob Menendez (NJ), Michael Bennet (CO), Cory Booker (NJ), Laphonza Butler (CA), Ben Cardin (MD), Tammy Duckworth (IL), John Fetterman (PA), Mazie Hironi (HI), Ed Markey (MA), Jeff Merkley (OR), Jacky Rosen (NV), Bernie Sanders (VT), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Raphael Warnock (GA), and Ron Wyden (OR).