By Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers
As our report states, America is a nation of immigrants, but America has also become a nation with a broken immigration system. Manufacturers believe our leaders not only have an obligation to fix this system but also a historic opportunity to do so at a moment when Americans’ attention is focused on the issue like almost none other.
Because manufacturers are in the business of building solutions, the National Association of Manufacturers is putting forth a reasonable and practical proposal designed to address the problems created by our current system and to fix those issues once and for all. It is with the goal of unifying a fractured country that we offer this proposal.
For National Security, Compassion And Workforce Economic Realities
Our nation’s rich heritage and global economic influence have been made possible by generations of immigrants who have had the courage to leave their homelands, families and fortunes, to call America their new home. Over the centuries, they have made the American experiment possible, helping to turn the United States into an exceptional nation and an unrivaled global leader.
America is indeed a nation of immigrants, but America has also become a nation with a broken immigration system. Manufacturers believe our leaders not only have an obligation to fix this system but also an historic opportunity to do so at a moment when Americans’ attention is focused on the issue like almost none other.
Decades of neglect and lack of enforcement of existing laws and regulations have eroded the confidence of our citizens in the sanctity of our borders—while also leaving those who know no home other than the United States worried about their futures, living in uncertainty and fear. Now, the conflict between those who rightly want our laws followed and those who recognize the contributions of immigrants and continued immigration to the United States has become a flashpoint.
A vast majority of Americans, however, believe it is time to push past the existing arguments, completely overhaul our immigration system and fix the problems that exist today by listening to the concerns of all sides. The right approach is holistic and enduring—one that bolsters our national security, upholds our rule of law, demonstrates compassion and establishes a modern, well-functioning system for welcoming new people to the United States.
This is the type of reform that manufacturers have long advocated. But while it is one thing to call for reform, it is another to offer a plan. Because manufacturers are in the business of building solutions, the National Association of Manufacturers is putting forth a reasonable and practical proposal designed to address the problems created by our current system and to fix those issues once and for all. It is with the goal of unifying a fractured country that we offer this proposal. The seven points included in our proposal are the following:
1. Strengthen border security with walls and other measures;
2. Prioritize America’s workforce needs through reforms to legal immigration;
3. Reform non-immigrant visas and temporary worker programs to reflect employer needs;
4. Provide a permanent solution for populations facing uncertainty;
5. Reform asylum and refugee programs for a more orderly and humane system;
6. Fix the problem of the unauthorized population with a firm reset; and
7. Strengthen the rule of law so it is respected and followed by all.
We are calling on Congress and the administration to seize this opportunity and end the division that has been created over this issue. Not every element of this plan will appeal to all people. A comprehensive solution requires compromise, and A Way Forward is designed with that in mind. But if our leaders follow this course, the result will be a safer America and a stronger, smarter economy.
We will have given those who deserve it, a chance to be a productive and contributing part of our country. And we will have upheld the values that make this nation of immigrants exceptional: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty, and equal opportunity.
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For more information on our proposal, you can visit our website https://www.nam.org.
Inmigration and Innovation
Policymakers, industry and universities in the United States are prioritizing investments that support America«s continued technological leadership in the face of global competition. We also must ensure our nation has talent and skills to propel this innovations, and pathways for the best and brightest are critical.
- H-1B visa fees paid by employers have funded nearly 90,000 college scholarships for U.S. students in science and engineering and enabled more than 1 million K-12 students and 50,000 teachers to receive support and training to enter science fields.
- Job openings in manufacturing are highly technical, workers require specialized skills training and credentials to quality for these jobs, and manufacturers need to attract a diverse set of workers with technical backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.
- More than 70% of STEM graduates with advanced degrees are foreign born.
- Advanced technologies enabled manufacturers«ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, with digital tools supporting their ability to pivot operations to produce much-needed equipment and supplies. Manufacturers are expected to accelerate investments in digital transformation as a result of the pandemic. But these planned investments may not happen if manufacturers in the United States are unabled to hire the talent needed to implement them.
- As of September 2020, the U.S. unemployment rate for individuals in computer occupations was 3.5%, and the unemployment rates available for jobs in computer science and math are similar.
Lawful Permanent Residents
The inmigration and Nacionality Act established a ÒpermeableÓ cap of 675,999 new lawful permanent residents per year. Due to the entry of new LPRs from categories not subject to statutory caps, in 2019 the United States admitted just more than 1 million new LPRs. Two-thirds of this total (68.8%) were familiy-based inmigrants. Employment-based inmigrants totaled a mere 13.5%.
