When asylum seekers come to the United States, they want to work—but an outdated immigration statute is making that more difficult than it needs to be. After filing an asylum application, asylum seekers must wait an agonizing six months before they can receive a work permit. This makes their already vulnerable position even worse and prevents them from providing for themselves or their family.
In an effort to bring attention to this problem, the American Immigration Council released a letter on November 16 with more than 100 chambers of commerce, businesses, and trade associations across the country calling on Congress to reduce the time asylum seekers must wait for a work permit from 180 to 30 days. The business leaders point out that this action will help address the chronic labor shortage across the United States. Signatories include national groups like the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as state and local chambers of commerce, many of whom attended the seventh annual this past October.
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