Immigration reform

Immigration Enforcement Guidance for California Small Businesses

February 1, 2026, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act went into effect in California. The new law requires California business owners to provide current and new employees with a stand-alone written notice outlining their workplace rights during immigration inspections and interactions with law enforcement. As increased immigration enforcement continues to impact workplaces and communities, Small Business Majority is committed to ensuring entrepreneurs have access to the information and resources they need to stay informed and compliant. To help small employers and immigrant entrepreneurs understand their rights and responsibilities, we’ve compiled an overview of the Workplace Know Your Rights Act, as well as a list of guides, legal aid and other immigration resources that can offer support.

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Small businesses call on Congress to fix our broken immigration system

Small businesses across the country are feeling the economic impact of current immigration policies and actions, including changes to longstanding SBA lending programs prohibiting access to capital for legal permanent residents. Additionally, in many communities, increased immigration activities and ICE raids have led to fewer customers, lost sales and employees who are afraid to come to work. For many entrepreneurs like me, these challenges are creating uncertainty and instability that make it difficult to operate and plan for the future.

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Submitted by Small Business Majority on Tue, 05/05/2026 - 10:28

Small Business Majority leads nearly 100 organizations to endorse the Investing in the American Dream Act

On April 28, Small Business Majority led a coalition of nearly 100 local, state and national organizations in a letter to Small Business Committee Ranking Members Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) to endorse the Investing in the American Dream Act. The legislation seeks to overturn SBA guidance issued in February that restricts loan access for businesses without 100% U.S. citizenship ownership. Instead, it would codify previous standards allowing businesses to qualify for 7(a), 504, Microloan, and Surety Bond programs if they are based in the U.S.

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Submitted by Connor Coursey on Tue, 04/28/2026 - 06:12

Opinion Poll: American Voters Want Elected Officials to Support Small Business

Publisher: 
Small Business Majority
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Date: 
Tuesday, April 28, 2026

This national opinion poll of likely voters, conducted for Small Business Majority by Lake Research Partners, reveals overwhelming bipartisan support for small businesses and pro-small business policies. Voters believe by dramatic margins that the success of small business is better for their families and the economy than the success of large corporations, and it’s personally important to them that local small businesses in their communities thrive. 

Small Business Majority submits comments in opposition to USCIS proposed rule that would further intensify the small business labor shortage

On March 31, Small Business Majority submitted a comment letter opposing a proposed rule issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Services (USCIS) that would indefinitely bar asylum applicants in the U.S. from applying for authorization to work legally during their application process. The letter underscores how imposing new restrictions on the work authorization process for millions of individuals would intensify the small business labor shortage by blocking access to specialized labor talent pools for Main Street. 

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Submitted by Connor Coursey on Tue, 03/31/2026 - 10:22

Small Business Majority leads coalition of 100 state and national organizations demanding SBA rescind exclusionary loan restrictions on immigrant entrepreneurs

On March 12, Small Business Majority, alongside more than 100 state and national organizations serving small businesses nationwide, sent a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) opposing the agency’s February 2 policy notice that bars small businesses not 100% owned by U.S. citizens or nationals from accessing SBA-backed loan programs.

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Submitted by Connor Coursey on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 09:08

Small Business Majority outlines key challenges facing small businesses ahead of SOTU address

Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer sent a letter to President Trump outlining the state of small businesses ahead of the State of the Union address. The letter examines the stark reality facing Main Street: the dual pressures of skyrocketing healthcare costs and the direct consequences of sweeping tariffs and escalating immigration enforcement have made it increasingly difficult for small businesses to sustain and grow their operations. To provide immediate relief to Main Street, Mr. Arensmeyer urged the administration to adopt small business-friendly policies, which include ending sweeping tariffs, renewing expired healthcare premium tax credits that lower costs for marketplace participants, and halting disruptive immigration enforcement tactics that exacerbate workforce shortages.

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Submitted by Connor Coursey on Mon, 02/23/2026 - 10:45

Small Business Majority urges Congress to address the ongoing immigration crisis while averting a harmful shutdown for Main Street

On January 28, Small Business Majority sent a letter to U.S. Senate leadership urging lawmakers to prioritize efforts to avert a partial shutdown impacting key small business programs ahead of the January 30th deadline while also taking the necessary time to address the immigration enforcement crisis that is hurting small businesses, our economy and our nation as a whole.

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Submitted by Connor Coursey on Thu, 01/29/2026 - 12:10

Fact sheet: Immigration and Entrepreneurship

Immigrant entrepreneurs are essential to small business growth, and small business owners strongly support immigration reform that works. Research shows overwhelming support for modernizing the legal immigration system, creating pathways to legal status, and rejecting mass deportation policies that would harm businesses and the economy. This fact sheet is compiled from U.S. Census data and Small Business Majority’s 2025 Voice of Main Street research.

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Submitted by sbm-admin on Tue, 01/27/2026 - 11:52

Voice of Main Street: Small businesses support healthcare premium relief, immigration reform

Publisher: 
Small Business Majority
English
Date: 
Thursday, November 13, 2025

On November 13, 2025, Small Business Majority released a research report examining the challenges small businesses face from rising healthcare premiums and increased immigration enforcement. The survey found that two-thirds of small business owners view higher healthcare costs as a significant financial burden and strongly support extending the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. Entrepreneurs also reported negative effects from immigration enforcement and expressed strong support for modernizing the legal immigration system and creating pathways to citizenship for qualifying undocumented immigrants.

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