Immigrants in America: Open For Business

If Congress would look at immigration reform as an opportunity, 2014 would be the year to make significant changes happen for the future of this nation.

In January, House Republicans took a step in the right direction. They showed promising determination on this issue in order to achieve a more secure America, a fair and streamlined system of legal immigration, along with an expansion of the flexibility of our nation’s labor force and economic growth.

The historic opportunity appeared to be a new tide in Washington in terms of immigration reform, but there are members on both sides that don’t appreciate the importance of immigration reform and its benefits to our collective future....

Industry and skill level jobs require an immigration system that allows for a flow of experienced workers and new citizens that reflect America’s labor and economic needs. For example, the Brookings report “The Paradox of Worker Shortages at a Time of High National Unemployment” found that farm workers, nurses, high-skilled manufacturing workers and technology workers continue to be in short supply in the United States. Under these circumstances, temporary workers from abroad would benefit the U.S. economy through legal immigration in order to fill these specialized needs and respond to the labor shortages.

This is true in areas such as San Jose and Silicon Valley, Calif., San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and Boise, Idaho, according to “Immigration and the Revival of American Cities,” a report by Americas Society/Council of the Americas and Partnership for a New American Economy. Immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs have spurred local economies in these areas and that of the nation with high-skilled workers around the universities and research industries, the farming industry, the oil industry and many more....

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