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SALT LAKE CITY — Twelve Utah chambers of commerce were among the over 430 business groups that launched a campaign Monday urging Congress to take action on immigration reform.
The groups sent a letter telling lawmakers to ditch another attempt at a comprehensive reform in favor of a smaller subset of policies that could win bipartisan approval. The policies ranged from increasing border security resources to expanding annual quotas for employment-based visas and reforming asylum laws.
"These failures of our current immigration system impose significant costs on American communities and our economy," the letter reads. "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 business coalition — which includes members from all 50 states and from a wide range of industries — dubbed its campaign Legal Immigration and Border Enforcement Reform This Year (LIBERTY) Campaign. The campaign comes on the heels of a new immigration strategy from the Biden administration that combines the opening of immigrant processing centers in Latin American countries with tougher enforcement at the border. The strategy was released ahead of an expected surge in migration following the May 11 expiration of Title 42 border restrictions.
The business coalition argued that labor shortages seen across the U.S. can be solved by ending the current congressional gridlock on immigration.
That claim has garnered support from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who has called repeatedly for immigration reform to help grow the U.S. and Utah economies.
"Our economy is demanding that we need more workforce, and we just can't find more workforce here," Cox said during a recent news conference. "So this isn't about taking jobs away from Americans; it's about helping create new jobs and more jobs and helping our economy to continue to grow."
Utah's unemployment rate is 2.4% at a time when experts say filling open positions remains challenging for Utah businesses. To help address that issue, Utah recently passed a new law that allows immigrant professionals to use foreign credentials and training to become licensed in Utah. A report earlier this year also found that immigrants are playing a crucial role in addressing labor shortages in Utah's health care industry.
The business groups said that "any progress that Congress can make can become the foundation for additional reforms" and extended their commitment to work with lawmakers to find pathways forward on policy.
