Chicago City Wire

CHICAGO – Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) joined Illinois elected officials, immigration advocates and representatives from the business sector, at a press conference hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) Action to continue urging President Biden to use his existing legal authority to expand work authorizations and help address the labor shortage crisis.

These are Congressman García’s remarks as delivered:

“Good morning everyone!  I want to thank ABIC for assembling this broad coalition of voices that want to do right by the national interest.  

“Our simple message to the President this morning is this: immigrants and asylum seekers want to work.  

“Immigrants and asylum seekers want to work. 

“They can contribute to advancing our country. This is the key message and what the underlying letter that was sent with 38 Members of Congress to President Biden asking him to take action. 

“This message also was endorsed last week by over 45 organizations that work with immigrants across the city of Chicago.  

“Chicago and other cities across the nation and states have been welcoming people and standing up and living the legacy of being welcoming places that embrace immigrants because they recognize how immigrants contribute.

“Every day I hear from constituents who have made their life in the US, who worked and played by the rules but don’t have peace of mind when they go to work.

“Farmers and business owners in the restaurant, hospitality, landscaping industries are asking for work permits for migrants and asylum seekers. They need workers, and they want to hire them right away.  

“Republican governors, as was stated, understand this and want to participate in the process. 

“We have anti-immigrant rhetoric and those who oppose immigration reform in Congress, that is why this is the only viable solution that would solve many of the challenges we are seeing in Chicago and other cities across the country. 

“Expanding work permits is a common sense solution. It will grow our economy. It will help transform our workforce, and more importantly, it will create more wealth across the board in America.”

On July 21st, Congressmen García (IL-04) led 38 congressional colleagues in a letter urging the Biden administration to expand parole and work permits to both new migrants and long term contributing immigrant workers. The letter was endorsed by 50 immigration and business organizations. In a letterto the Biden Administration earlier this week, Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson echoed the request for the Administration to create a state-sponsored parole program, citing that 13,000+ asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago since last year, but many have struggled to obtain work permits.

Video of the press conference can be watched here, Rep. García’s remarks begin at minute 21:00.

Original source can be found here.