NJ Business Immigration Coalition Newsletter, Spring 2020

New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition

Spring, 2020

News and Views

Pursuing Bipartisan and Evidence-Based Immigration Reform

Coronavirus May Reshuffle the Cards for Immigration Reform

The effects of the pandemic sweeping across the United States, both in lives lost and livelihoods threatened, are grave and sobering. The long-term repercussions for specific sectors of the economy and for society as a whole are hard to predict. What is likely is that public policy, including immigration policy, will change in the process.

How does immigration fit into this new reality? On the one hand, we know that immigrants are on the front lines of the “war” that the President has declared, serving in disproportionate numbers as researchers, doctors, nurses, health care aides, agricultural and food service workers, and many other essential occupations. In short, immigrant talent and labor are working to heal the sick and to keep the rest of us healthy.

On the other hand, surging numbers of unemployed suggest that the job market may be fundamentally altered as a result of the crisis, and fears of contagion from abroad are forcing governments to close off channels of migration all over the world. We hope that the articles and studies featured in this issue of our newsletter will help to illuminate both our present situation and the future we will create for our society.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Almost Half of Recent US Immigrants Had College Degrees

U.S. Population Grows at Slowest Rate Since 1919

Survey shows that almost 50 percent of corporate human resource professionals believe U.S. immigration policies are driving work and workers to other countries

How Partisanship Is Destroying America's Competitiveness and the "The Gift of Global Talent"

Legal immigrants are at risk of losing status during coronavirus pandemic

Trump's crackdown on skilled immigrants is hurting our coronavirus response

The Other Problematic Outbreak: As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, so too does racism

Immigrants on the

Front Lines of the Crisis

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a nonpartisan Washington think tank, has examined the role of immigrant workers in the nation's response to the Coronavirus epidemic. MPI estimates that 6 million foreign-born workers nationally are employed in vital, frontline industries, including 29 percent of physicians; 22 percent of nursing assistants; 38 percent of home health aides; 26 percent of all workers engaged in the manufacture of food, medicine, and cleaning agents; 38 percent of bakers; and 48 percent of unclassified agricultural workers.

Percentages in New Jersey, of course, are much higher. In a state-level report recently released by New American Economy, 40 percent of physicians and surgeons, 30 percent of nurses and 54 percent of health aides in New Jersey were immigrants.

The MPI report also highlights the plight of immigrnt workers in the aftermath of the crisis. Immigrants are over-represented in some of the industries seeing huge declines in demand and sharp increases in layoffs, including chefs and head cooks in restaurants (38 percent immigrant); maids and cleaners in hotels (52 percent); building service workers (38 percent); and manicurists and pedicurists (78 percent). Many of the immigrants working in these sectors of the economy, if they lack legal status, do not qualify for safety net services or emergency assistance under the federal stimulus legislation.

Click here to read the MPI report

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON IMMIGRATION AND COVID-19,

CHECK OUT THE:

COVID-19 RESOURCE PAGE

OF THE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT POLICY PORTAL

Commentary on the President's

Proclamation Limiting Legal Immigration

On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation limiting legal immigration to the United States for a period of 60 days. Although the proclamation exempted nonimmigrant visa holders and EB-5 immigrant investors, many forms of family migration, as well as the Diversity Visa Program, were halted -- long-standing objectives of the Trump administration. Upon recommendations from the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security, the President may broaden coverage of the proclamation and extend it beyond 60 days. The President's action has triggered a spate of criticism. Here is a selection of comments:

The Trump administration has used the COVID-19 crisis to rewrite immigration law without passing a bill through Congress.

Stuart Anderson, Executive Director, National Foundation for American Policy

The President's immigration ban is backed by zero analysis of its effect by recognized labor economists...no research estimating its short-term effects on employment. No research estimating its long-term effects on the American Economy.

Michael Clements, Director, Center for Global Development

Trump's proclamation will block relatively few immigrants from Western Europe, Canada, and Australia, while blocking relatively more immigrants from Asia, Africa, Central America, and Eastern Europe.

Boundless blog, April 22, 2020

The impulse to close immigration to protect jobs for American citizens is known as the lump of labor fallacy, which is a fundamental misconception that there is a fixed amount of work in a society. Believers in this fallacy apply it to immigration by arguing that any job held by an immigrant could be held by an American citizen, but this just simply isn't true.

Alex Nowrasteh, Cato at Liberty, April 22, 2020

Having more immigrants reduces the unemployment rate and raises the labor force participation rates of U.S. natives within the same sex and education group...Immigrants may boost consumer demand, start their own businesses, and reduce offshoring of manual-labor intensive jobs in the U.S.

Madeline Zavodny, Professor of Economics, University of North Florida

There's little immigration happening right now anyway...But what about when America reopens? Will it also reopen to immigrants? Trump's tweets send a double damaging message: Immigrants are both a health risk and an economic risk. But that's no way to characterize one of America's great national assets and competitive advantages

James Pethokoukis, American Enterprise Institute, Blog, April 21, 2020

COVID-19 is projected to result in one of the largest economic downturns in history, both for the United States and the global economy, and it may be years before the U.S. economy fully recovers. Cutting the United States off from immigration for a significant period of time -- especially if the president expands the suspension to encompass additional green card applicants and temporary workers that fuel integral sectors of the labor market -- will put the U.S. economy even more at risk.

Jacqueline Varas, Director of Immigration and Trade Policy, American Action Forum

Business Leaders Release

the "Michigan Compact" on immigration

A coalition of 16 business groups in Michigan, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and regional chambers in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Saginaw, have published the "Michigan Compact on Immigration." The Compact asserts "that the communities that are able to attract a competitive workforce will continue to grow and those communities are generally the ones who embrace and welcome new citizens." The Compact identified six principles to guide federal immigration reform, including a flexible approach that will "address the needs of businesses while protecting the interests of workers" and a "path forward" for those "who are of good character, pay taxes, and are commmited to becoming fully partiicpating members of our society, but lack legal status." Michigan joins a group of other states, including Florida , Texas , and Utah that have adopted similar compacts.

Read the Full Michigan Compact Here

Improved Pathways for Skilled Immigrants: Part of the Solution

In an effort to bolster the ranks of practicing medical professionals in New Jersey, Governor Murphy issued an executive order on April 1 allowing physicians licensed and in good standing in other countries to practice medicine in New Jersey for the duration of the crisis. His action recognizes a pervasive problem facing many immigrants with professional training received in other countries, i.e. navigating the often labrynthine and unnecessary credentialing barriers existing in many states and localities. Despite shortages of skilled workers in many fields, and the existence of a pool of qualified immigrants who could ease these shortages, many states turn a blind eye to the "brain waste" problem. Often, these immigrants with professional training end up working as Uber drivers or parking attendants. Fortunately, there are a number of organizations and jurisdictions that are trying to solve this problem. The Global Talent Bridge program of World Education Services, an organization that provides independent evaluations of degrees earned abroad, has published a series of guides to help foreign-trained professionals naviagate the credentialing process and if necessary, find related careers. The guides cover the following professional areas: architecture , dentistry , engineering , health , information technology , law , pharmacy , and teaching . Global Talent Bridge also provides technical assistance to states and localities interested in reducing unnecessary barriers to career entry on the part of foreign-trained professionals.

Click here for more information about the Global Talent Bridge Program

GET INVOLVED: We want to hear from you!

Check out our policy platform here and if your company or organization (or you as an individual) agrees with our principles for immigration reform, sign up as a member of the coalition.

Share your thoughts on the immigration reform challenges facing the United States. How is your industry affected? What specific reform proposals are you championing? Write us at: [email protected]

The New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition,

c/o Einstein's Alley, P.O. Box 165, Plainsboro NJ 08536,

[email protected]