The following public policy statement has been developed for your chamber to adopt. By doing so your chamber will join EWIC, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and chambers from across the country in working together on behalf of our collective members to promote a comprehensive approach to immigration legislation.

Upon adoption, please let us know so that we can add you to this new and growing coalition by using the attached fax back form found at the bottom of this page.

There is no question that the U.S. immigration system is broken. There are an estimated 10-12 million undocumented migrants in the United States, and deporting them would be the equivalent of removing the population of the state of Ohio -not a realistic option. As a country, we are facing an aging population and a severe shortage of workers to fill essential jobs that Americans are unwilling or unable to take.

The __________________ Chamber of Commerce recognizes that our immigration system is broken. To fix it, a comprehensive approach is needed because it is easier to enforce laws that make sense and can work. The Chamber supports legislative action that:

• Is comprehensive, addressing both future economic needs for workers and the status of undocumented workers already in the United States.
• Strengthens national security by providing for thorough screening of foreign workers and creating strong disincentives for illegal immigration.
• Strengthens the rule of law by establishing clear, sensible immigration laws that are effectively and vigorously enforced. We need a reliable employment eligibility confirmation system that is easy to use so that businesses can decipher federal immigration laws without expensive lawyers.
• Creates an immigration system that functions efficiently for employers, workers, and government agencies. We need a fast and dependable way to match willing employers with willing employees, and visa limitations that fluctuate according to market needs.
• Ensures that U.S. workers are not displaced by foreign workers. U.S. workers should have first shot at all job opportunities before they are opened up to foreign workers.
• Ensures that all workers enjoy the same labor law protections. Only by bringing undocumented workers out of the shadows can we protect them from unscrupulous employers who might exploit them.

Taken together, these proposals can help fix our broken immigration system and return business owners to doing what they do best: creating jobs.

The __________________ Chamber of Commerce recognizes that immigrants have played an important role throughout our nation's history. Our economy will depend on immigrants even more heavily in the near future, when huge numbers of aging baby boomers begin to retire. By putting the right laws in place now, we can clear up the problems created by illegal immigration and take a large step toward alleviating worker shortages that will surely grow unless we act.

Click here to download Policy Statement in a Word file

Click here to download sample fax back form to join coalition