Business owners say broken immigration system negatively impacting economy
This article was written by Mariza Mendoza for News 4 San Antonio and can be found on their website here.
SAN ANTONIO-Business owners across Texas are feeling it, the labor shortage that’s affecting food and housing prices. Immigration advocates say the crisis at the border isn’t helping matters.
According to San Antonio city officials, the Migrant Resource Center saw nearly 15,000 people , that's nearly double from March. Immigration advocates say immigration policy is much more than a social issue, but an economic one.
"This broken immigration system affects all of us on all levels at all sectors," says longtime business owner Marc Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says the uncertainty at the border is killing small businesses. He says with tighter bank lending, less employees are on the books.
“When you have a workforce shortage and a border security , border immigration policy issue , the banks and the financial markets are unsure of the stability for Texas Business," says Rodriguez.
According to Texas Workforce Commission, there are currently 800,000 job openings. The agency adds 600,000 people remain unemployed. Thousands of those jobs are in the areas of hospitality, manufacturing, and construction.
“Those are the jobs that native Americans either cannot or are not willing to do," says Javier Palomarez , CEO and President of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council.
Palomarez says immigrants are essential at supporting key sectors of the economy. He adds it’s been over 30 years since Congress passed any significant immigration reform, but with a high volume of migrants and a labor shortage, guest visas should be considered.
“Guest worker visas are certainly called for we need to revamp the system and be courageous enough to understand and admit that America relies on the ingenuity, the hustle and the contributions of a vibrant immigrant community," says Palomarez.
"You have a worker that is registered that will be on their way to legal status and and or legal citizenship," says Rodriguez.
A community that immigration advocates hopes will find its way back to neutral for the sake of the economy.
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