The Agenda for America's Entrepreneurs: Immigration Reform

Our nation’s workforce is fueled by the contributions of the millions of immigrant workers whom small businesses often rely on to sustain and grow their operations. As workforce shortages continue to persist across Main Street, Small Business Majority advocates for commonsense immigration reform providing pathways to legal status or citizenship for qualifying undocumented immigrants and visa holders to bolster an essential small business workforce while ending disruptive mass deportations that harm Main Street. Our research found that small businesses strongly support (89%) immigration reform that modernizes the legal immigration system to reduce backlogs and makes it easier for qualified workers to come to the U.S. legally. The vast majority (87%) also support providing a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.  

• Enact immigration reform by prioritizing pathways to citizenship and reducing administrative burdens for those seeking to fully participate in the American economy. Congress should safeguard small business owners by prohibiting baseless mass deportations of immigrants and focus on enacting comprehensive immigration reforms to bolster an essential small business workforce.
• Expedite and improve temporary and permanent work visas to support a strong economy that powers the small business workforce. 
• Pass legislation like the Dignity Act (H.R. 4393), which works to strengthen immigration laws in the country while providing certain undocumented, DACA recipients, and Dreamer status holders with temporary status while they obtain legal citizenship to support our economy on Main Street. The bill also raises outdated immigration caps and increases high-skilled visas, expanding access to talented workers for small businesses in high-skill, manufacturing, and agricultural fields. 
• Ensure small business access to a wide range of workers by passing legislation like the Strengthening Our Workforce Act (H.R. 5098) to provide non-citizens working in healthcare, agricultural and emergency fields with a pathway to legal status.