Seacoast Online: New England Council urges immigration reform

An organization that represents businesses across New England is urging action to prevent the loss of thousands of immigrant employees from the already tight labor market.

Jim Brett of the New England Council joined with the New American Economy last week in a media teleconference as a display of united support for immigrants, including an estimated 15,000 covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

The Dec. 6 event marked the launch of the iMarch for Immigration Campaign, a national day of action with online and offline events in all 50 states. The group called on Congress to take action protecting Dreamers as a first step to addressing what it says are longstanding economic hurdles within the nation’s outdated immigration system.

The campaign is launching as Congress considers a solution for DACA recipients.

In September, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced plans to end DACA, which has provided nearly 670,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the U.S., the Trump administration gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix and time is running out.

According to Brett, there is a misconception that individuals covered by DACA are not contributing, not paying taxes and not working.

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