EPI released the following statement in response to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO’s agreement calling for progress on immigration reform that supports businesses while protecting American workers:
We are delighted to see this progress on comprehensive immigration reform and look forward to working with the Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO to craft a new mechanism for admitting foreign workers based on labor market needs.
It is encouraging that the first principle reaffirms that U.S. workers will have the first opportunity to fill job openings and enough information to make that possible.
We especially salute the notion of using real world data about labor markets and demographics to determine the future flow of employment-based immigrants and temporary foreign workers. These important decisions should be based on facts, not assertions or myths.
EPI and its co-founder, former Labor Secretary Ray Marshall, have been promoting these principles for the last six years and urging that they become an integral part of our immigration system.
