Cancelling Work Permits for Approved Permanent Residents a Foolish Proposal

(Arlington, VA) – Under current federal policy, when H1B workers have been approved for employment-based permanent residency, their spouses are allowed to obtain work permits while they wait to be issued a Green Card. In the days ahead, the administration is expected to issue a rule ending this policy, preventing these tens of thousands of individuals from working until a Green Card is issued.

Daniel Garza, President of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:

“When hard working and talented immigrants bring their skills to America, our communities benefit from the skills, services or products that they provide. We know that immigrants also benefit, and many of them – like a lot of American families – count on having two incomes in their households. It makes a great deal of sense to allow people who have already been approved to receive a green card to begin to make a contribution to society, their communities and their families, by legally working, and our policies should recognize that. This is especially true at a time when millions of positions around the country are already going unfilled. There is no need to force thousands of workers to quit the workforce when we know that they will soon be legally permitted to return.

 

“This proposed policy change makes no sense whatsoever. It hurts immigrant workers and families. It hurts the people who count on their labor. And it hurts our overall economy. The administration should reverse course on this ill-advised proposal.”

For interviews with a representative from the LIBRE Initiative, please contact Brian Faughnan, 202-805-1581 or Wadi Gaitan, 202-853-4433

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