OPINION:
The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the most complex geopolitical spaces in the world. The complexities of the region and the politics of trade, security and migration are constantly at play in the El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez border region.
But despite these challenges, the communities on both sides of the border are dynamic, vibrant, and a laboratory for global trade and human interaction for generations to come.
As president and CEO of the premier business advocacy group in the area, I am committed to a plan for prosperity that builds on business strengths and successes and those that require effective and comprehensive immigration policy from the federal government.
At this moment, we appear far from an optimal situation, exemplified by the last several months of migrant influx in El Paso. Our community continues to show tremendous resilience and concern for these travelers, including families donating clothes and food, and businesses providing meals for migrants.
I refuse to accept that this is about blaming politics or political parties, because neither approach moves to resolve the situation on the border.
I do believe that it is time for business to take the lead in these conversations, primarily because economic power continues to be a pull factor for migrants from around the world, and the U.S. economy needs these migrants.
According to data analyzed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are 10 million jobs open to 5 million unemployed workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that 66% of immigrants 25 and older participated in the labor force in 2021, while the native-born participation rate was 62%. Data from the Current Population Survey showed that employment for immigrants grew by 6.5%, while for the native-born, it grew less than half that rate, by 2.6%.
And in 2019, according to data released by the New American Economy organization, immigrants constitute 22% of our population in the El Paso metro area and contributed $1 billion in taxes.
The demand for workers in different sectors has increased, and immigrants have helped alleviate some of the gaps, from nurses to teachers. Congress needs to pass a comprehensive immigration reform for local economies to get stronger by increasing labor participation. Immigration reform and the expansion of labor visas are also necessary to address labor shortages in sectors such as manufacturing, health care, retail, services and hospitality.
The El Paso-Juarez community has long benefited from the flow of goods and services across the border. The development of a wide range of products in Juarez that cross into the United States through El Paso represents a substantial amount of trade. Facilitating crossings and developing ports of entry to their maximum potential must be part and parcel of immigration policy reform. Lines of support for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement need to be expanded from the federal government, particularly so that those border policing and processing resources do not get traded off in periods of heightened movement along the border.
And while much attention is being paid to asylum-seeking migrants, it is important to remember that we exist with an “asylum by default” system. It would be virtually impossible to remove every immigrant who lives in the shadows in the United States after entering the country illegally. So they will continue to exist in an underground economy as outliers in several ways.
It is time to revisit a guest worker program that offers the opportunity for workers to enter the United States, in a legal, regulated fashion, with the opportunity to return to their home country on a regular basis. Such a system is likely to find favor in the migrant community, particularly as many migrants would like to be able to move from home to a job without fear of entangling themselves in legal crises.
An efficient guest worker program could be the first step to developing pathways to resident alien status or more.
Several business sectors are allowed to sponsor foreign nationals, including science and technology companies and health care entities. These processes are highly regulated and generate revenue for the federal government, while allowing businesses to prosper with a unique workforce.
The move to accommodate and address the needs of businesses in the United States should drive the conversations about immigration policy reform.
The changes we will advocate in El Paso do not call for open borders or unregulated borders; they call for smarter borders and economically advantageous policies that interlock with immigration reforms that can be humane and sensible.
Business needs to lead on this front, and based on my members and the communities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, we are ready.
• Andrea Adkins-Hutchins is chief executive officer of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
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