FLORIDA — As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to reverse many of the hard-line immigration enforcement policies of the Trump administration, ​a bipartisan group of business and political leaders are calling on Congress to pass an immigration reform package aimed at loosening restrictions on migrant labor.

 

What You Need To Know

  • The American Business Immigration Coalition held a virtual forum to loosen restrictions on migrant labor

  • Biden plans to send Congress an immigration reform proposal during his first 100 days in office

  • Migrant labor issues are pressing as economies are suffering from pandemic effects

 

During a virtual forum hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition this week, reformers stated the effort is critical to increasing domestic food production and reducing dependence on foreign countries, including China.

"This is not only an economic issue, it's also a national security issue," said U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Miami).

Biden has pledged to send Congress an immigration reform proposal during his first 100 days, the contours of which have yet to be finalized.

The legislation would complement executive orders the president-elect intends to sign that would reverse Trump administration immigration initiatives, ranging from family border separations to automatic DACA application rejections and stepped-up deportations.

The migrant labor issue is particularly pressing at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has been battering Florida's economy, Democratic state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried told the forum.

"This needs to be all hands on deck, supporting our local farmers and encouraging them to continue participating in agriculture, but the reality of the situation is that even at that highest mark, Americans don't want all those jobs and we certainly can't fill them with just Floridians and Americans in agriculture," she said.

Congressional action, however, will depend in large part on the willingness of the U.S. Senate to consider a broad reform package. If the chamber remains in Republican hands after next month's Georgia runoff elections, the prospect of passage is questionable.

For now, the incoming administration is working to cast the debate in human terms.

"Immigrants are a key driver of economic growth. We must stop vilifying these communities. We must bring an immediate end to the inhumane and unjust treatment of immigrants," Alejandro Mayorkas said during his remarks at the forum.

Mayorkas is the president-elect's nominee to serve as Homeland Security secretary.