As March comes to an end, we continue to help clients through the H-1B lottery. It is our priority to ensure that all these cases are handled in a timely, organized, and diligent manner. This week, Fiona McEntee, Managing Partner, published an op-ed in Crain’s Chicago Business about the positive impact of immigrant entrepreneurs in Chicago. Read on to learn more about Fiona’s article, detention center conditions for minor migrants, increased efforts from labor unions to get immigrant workers vaccinated, and research supporting the positive impact immigration has on the U.S. economy.
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1. “Immigrant entrepreneurs can fuel Chicago’s COVID recovery”, Crain’s Chicago Business — Wednesday, March 31st
Fiona McEntee, Managing Partner at McEntee Law, recently wrote a piece with Matthew Bragg for Crain’s Chicago Business about the important contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs in Chicago and the need for a “startup visa”. We need to do all we can to support and encourage immigrant entrepreneurs and the jobs their startups create. This piece explains the current challenges startup founders face when trying to immigrate to the United States and the need to address the deficiencies in our current system, particularly because “entrepreneurs will be the driving force of our [economic] recovery” post-pandemic.
2.Biden Administration Allows Media Inside Texas Border Camps — Tuesday, March 30th
On Tuesday, reporters were allowed in the Texas border camps for the first time. A limited number of reporters were allowed in the facility and received two-hour tours from Border Patrol officials. They reported extreme levels of overcrowding in the detention “pods.” In the past few weeks, the Biden administration has had to add thousands of emergency beds to accommodate the number of migrants. The Department of Homeland Security states that it is working to protect the safety of these children, prevent the spread of COVID-19, and move minors out of the facilities as quickly as possible. It is crucial to ensure the minors in these facilities are safe, heathy, cared for, and moved out of detention facilities into community-based care as soon as possible. We will continue to closely monitor the situation at the border and continue to share updates with our followers.
“As I have said repeatedly, a Border Patrol facility is no place for a child. We have been working around-the-clock, in coordination with HHS, to quickly move unaccompanied children out of these crowded Border Patrol stations and into the care of HHS so they can be placed with family members or other sponsors.” —DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
3.Organized Labor Stepping in to Increase Vaccines for Immigrant Workers — Tuesday, March 30th
On Tuesday, Politico reported that unions and advocacy groups are stepping in to increase vaccination access and rates among documented and undocumented immigrant workers. The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has created fear among immigrant communities that accessing government services will lead to immigration consequences. The Biden Administration has continually stressed there will be no immigration enforcement near vaccine sites and anyone can receive the vaccine regardless of immigration status. Union and advocacy groups have said, “four years of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies coming from the White House have eroded trust in government.” These groups have stepped up to educate immigrants on the importance of the vaccine as well as to assuage any lingering fears of receiving government healthcare services. They have hosted webinars in over a dozen languages, launched texting programs, run phone banks, and circulated informational sheets. This work is crucial as public health officials have warned that failure “to effectively inoculate this population could exacerbate racial health inequities and jeopardize the country’s recovery.” We will continue to advocate for vaccine accessibility and provide our clients with up-to-date information on vaccine options and public health issues that immigrants face.
“There’s more the government can do, union officials and advocates say, including by continuing to support unions, advocates and other community-based organizations, providing workers with alternative ways of proving their eligibility and conducting outreach in several languages and via text, rather than only online.” — Politico
4.Research Continues to Demonstrate That Reducing Immigration Harms America’s Economy — Thursday, April 1st
On Thursday, Forbes released an article describing the impact reduced immigration has on the U.S. economy. The growth of gross domestic product (GDP) is one metric that allows a country to measure its standard of living. GDP or economic growth consists of workforce growth and increased labor productivity. The Trump administration’s policies reduced immigration by almost 50%, which reduced labor growth. Had these policies continued, the average annual labor force growth would be approximately 59% lower. President Biden’s U.S. Citizenship Act would increase immigration by 28%. This would “ increase the average annual labor force growth in the U.S. by 23% over current U.S. projections.” Data from the U.S. Census Bureau found that “international migrants may have a larger impact on employment because of the jobs they fill.” Immigrants are necessary to the U.S. economy and provide a variety of skills and expertise to our workforce.
At McEntee Law Group, we help companies of all sizes in all industries to bring the best talent to their U.S. teams. Employment-based immigration is an increasingly complicated process, but our experienced attorneys have guided hundreds of foreign nationals and employers through it. Whether your company needs employees on a temporary or permanent basis, we are here to help. To schedule a consultation and assess your options, please reach out to us through our contact form.
Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s ‘News Review’ from McEntee Law! Want daily immigration news updates? Follow us on Twitter.
