More than 430 business organizations have established a coalition seeking action on immigration reform. The Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reform This Year (LEGAL) Campaign has been launched with a letter of intent to members of Congress. The LIBERTY Campaign consists of groups representing a variety of different industries including construction, agriculture, retail, engineering, and others.
“When it comes to individual priorities, our organizations may differ, but the one thing we agree on is that another year of inaction on border security and legal immigration reform is not an acceptable option. The failure to enact reforms will deepen these current crises,” the letter states. “For too long, congressional efforts to confront America’s immigration challenges have stalled. Attempts to address these problems “comprehensively” have all met with failure.”
Member groups of the LIBERTY Campaign include the Western Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. The coalition highlights several areas where bipartisan efforts can help to ease the current challenges. Some of the suggestions include reforming asylum laws and instituting effective and efficient employment verification. Additionally, the LIBERTY Campaign supports substantially increasing quotas for employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas.
In a press release the coalition highlights a survey that found that approximately two-thirds of American voters support bolstering border security and making it easier to immigrate. The group notes that expanding the scope of essential worker programs could be one component of working towards bipartisan compromise to immigration reform. Other points highlighted by the LIBERTY Campaign include increasing resources along the southern border and expanding the scope of essential worker programs.
“Ultimately, elected officials will have to negotiate what can secure the necessary votes in both Houses of Congress and the President’s signature,” the coalition notes. “We are committed to working with lawmakers who share our view that finding reasonable compromises is the only path forward to securing our border, averting further humanitarian crises, and meeting the economic needs of the United States.”
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