The Need for Bipartisan Immigration Reform

01/15/2021

Leading retailers are building a 21^st Century Retail Workforce that is diverse, innovative, and skilled. With this in mind, it is necessary that leading retailers advocate an inclusive and commonsense policy to address the weaknesses in our immigration laws.

This week, RILA joined over 100 other associations, companies, and individuals calling for President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris to work with Congress to pass bipartisan immigration reform. The message, which appeared in the New York Times this week, states that “our Nation's immigration laws are decades overdue for an overhaul.” The statement also advocates for Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients and other undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

In June of 2020, when the Supreme Court overturned President Trump’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA), RILA President Brian Dodge released a statement emphasizing that Dreamers “are part of the social fabric of America and part of the retail family; they are our friends and neighbors.” Many have been on the frontlines during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is important for the incoming Administration, and Congress, to provide certainty to Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants who live in constant fear that the lives they have built for themselves and their family could be hastily jeopardized by government officials.

In addition to finding certainty for the Dreamers, who work within the retail industry, lawmakers must address the challenges related to highly skilled and other work visa programs. As retailers continue to evolve, we need the talent to build platforms, usability, and improve the overall consumer experience for more technology-based services. Congress must address these needs by modernizing foreign worker visa programs to help retailers meet the demands of the 21st Century retail workforce.

Leading retailers are ready to help the incoming Biden Administration and Congress fix our broken immigration laws. The retail industry is encouraged to see statements from the Biden transition that the incoming Administration understands the seriousness and importance of getting a bill through Congress this year.