Immigration reform needed for manufacturing
In October, National Association of Manufacturers made another call for policymakers to act on immigration, saying it is time to, “fix this problem now.”
President and CEO Jay Timmons said in a speech, "first and foremost, this is a humanitarian issue. We see it play out in tragic ways- including family separations at the border and confusion as families seek to reunite following a harrowing journey. But as manufacturing and business leaders, we also know there are serious economic consequences. Research and development- the cornerstone of innovation and our industry’s success- depends on access to the best and brightest from across the world.”
Within the recommendations that the Association made, these points were most prevalent:
- Prioritize America’s workforce needs through reforms to the legal immigration system.
- Reform nonimmigrant visas and temporary worker programs to reflect employer needs, including a fund to support STEM programs so that we can reduce the need for these types of visas in the future.
- Provide a permanent and compassionate solution for populations facing uncertainty, including the Dreamers, who were brought here as children and know no other home.
- Reform asylum and refugee programs for a more orderly and humane system, including asylum standards consistent with our values.
But manufacturing is not the only U.S. industry also asking for more immigrants to be allowed to work.
Farms Depend on Immigrants
Livestock farmers are pushing for the Senate to deliver a long-awaited immigration bill to modernize the agricultural visa system. The livestock farmers have explained that the existing system does not address their business needs since livestock businesses require year-round workers who have experience with animals. Currently, all agricultural visas are seasonal.
“I honestly don’t know exactly how we ended up being overlooked. I think largely at the time the industry looked very different than it looks today. And it was predominantly a family workforce. And so there wasn’t there wasn’t the foreign-born workforce in dairy that you had in seasonal agriculture when the pieces were originally written,” said Rick Naerebout, the CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association to The Hill.
Poultry and meat farmers are facing challenging times, with cost of fuel and feed prices increasing. Adding to that lack of workers year-round creates product cost issues that, ultimately, are passed on to the consumer.
Global Competition for Immigrants
As more nations worldwide open their doors to qualified immigrants, to fill their workforce voids, updating our own immigration policies will only benefit the nation. U.S. business owners know that immigration strengthens our economy and support an improved path to making immigration work for all.
This is why OPA continues to support immigrants becoming citizens with a low-interest immigration loan. We know that citizenship benefits us all, and that immigrants support the U.S. economy as much as everyone else.
