Letter to U.S. House of Representatives regarding immigration reform
Sept. 27, 2005
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative:
The undersigned organizations, representing over 300,000 construction and construction
related firms across the country, write to you to express our strong belief that
a truly comprehensive approach is necessary to reform our nation's immigration system.
To succeed in fixing our broken immigration system, any viable remedy must do three
things: strengthen our national security, reinforce the rule of law and address
the current and future economic and labor needs of our economy.
Recent proposals for immigration reform that are limited to interior enforcement
and border security fail to recognize the economic realities of our industry, and
our nation's economy as a whole. Simply allocating additional resources to enforcement
will not cure our nation's immigration crisis. This approach has failed in the past,
and is doomed to fail again, unless it is coupled with an approach that takes into
account the demographic trends facing America. With an aging domestic workforce
and a concurrent rise in demand for construction services, our industry in particular
faces an enduring shortage of workers.
The Construction Labor Research Council estimates that the construction industry
will require an average of 185,000 new workers per year over the next decade to
meet the labor demands of the industry. Our organizations firmly believe that our
nation's immigration policy should ensure that U.S. workers are not displaced by
foreign-born workers, yet after decades of engaging in efforts to encourage native-born
Americans to consider careers in the construction industry, we are faced with the
reality that foreign-born workers are necessary to help fill the jobs for the construction
services and products that Americans demand.
Unfortunately, these laborers confront extraordinary hurdles to obtaining the required
documentation to work in the United States. Current law provides few avenues for
construction companies to access a sustainable supply of essential workers. To address
the concerns created by the ongoing influx of undocumented workers, and to keep
our nation's economy growing, Congress must deal with the need for a guest worker
program that can serve as a legal vehicle to help meet the labor demands of our
economy. Anything short of a comprehensive approach to this challenge will jeopardize
any attempt to retake control of our border or restore the rule of law.
Again, on behalf of the construction organizations listed below, we ask for your
support of comprehensive immigration reform that will strengthen our borders, our
national security and our economy.
Respectfully Submitted,
Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated General Contractors of America
National Association of Home Builders
National Roofing Contractors of America
National Utility Contractors Association
Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors of America