The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday came out in support of bipartisan legislation that would address the immigration crisis at the southern board, which was introduced by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).
The Bipartisan Border Solutions Act, a bicameral bill, was also introduced by Texas Reps. Henry Cuellar (D) and Tony Gonzales (R).
It would expand the number of border processing facilities, hire more personnel to increase the Department of Homeland Security’s processing capacity and improve the care for unaccompanied children, among other provisions.
The Chamber has long called for a bipartisan solution at the southern border and was a vocal opponent of former President Trump’s immigration policies, including regulations announced last year targeting H-1B visas that are granted to skilled workers
The pro-business lobbying group endorsed two House-passed immigration bills, the Democrats’ American Dream and Promise Act, which would provide citizenship to young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, and the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers. They also have come out in support of the bipartisan Dream Act, which was introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
“The sharp increase in the number of individuals crossing our southern border and the severe overcrowding at our nation’s border facilities present a set of circumstances that Congress cannot ignore. Our leaders need to address this pressing situation, and the only way that meaningful policy changes will be enacted is if Republicans and Democrats work together to achieve those results for the American people,” Neil Bradley, the Chamber’s chief policy officer, said Thursday.
He added that the provisions in the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act are “not only necessary to confront the ongoing crisis on our southern border, but they also need to be considered by Congress as they debate other immigration issues where reform is desperately needed.”