Letter: Immigration updates needed

To the Editor: Fourth of July, a day to celebrate independence and freedom in America. Also a good day to honor the work of the Colonial patriots of 1776, who migrated from Europe, and the work of generations of other immigrants who followed in their footsteps. Working hard generation after generation, they helped make our country the economically strong country we live in today.

Today our American economy still needs immigrant workers to provide an adequate workforce. Many of our NH retail stores, healthcare services & hospitality businesses are currently unable to find adequate staff to serve the public need. According to the US Chamber of Commerce website, NH is listed on their Worker Shortage Index as one of the most severe in our country.

And all this is happening while asylum seekers at our borders are seeking safety for their families and jobs to support those families. Instead they are being prevented from doing so. So they wait and wait at our borders when they could be working, supporting their families, and paying income taxes. That makes no sense!

I am writing to ask our US Congress members to update our very outdated Immigration laws immediately. Bills such as Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration Act (LIFT the BAR Act) and the Asylum Seeker Worker Authorization Act of 2023 will not only benefit DACA recipients and Green Card Holders but will boost our local economies and businesses.

Time for all Congresspersons to put constituents before party affiliation or elite donors!

CORRINE DODGE

Derry

Union Leader.com

June 9th

Letters to the editor

https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-immigration-updates-needed/article_1cf6d6ba-310e-5075-9740-995baebbfabc.html

SUPPORT HR 1325, the BI-PARTISAN BILL THAT EXPEDITES WORK PERMITS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS


HR 1325, The Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Actreduces the waiting period for asylum-seekers to obtain work permits in the U.S. to 30 days from 6 months. Asylum seekers now often wait from 8 to 15 months to get a work permit, leading to more economic crises for them and heavier burdens on U.S. taxpayers and municipalities.

The bill has bipartisan support and is currently in the House Judiciary Committee. Click here to see if your House Representative has sponsored the bill, and ask them to co-sponsor it if they haven’t. If your House Rep. is on the Judiciary Committee, ask them to advocate bringing it up for a vote.

Happy Juneteenth! please check out the Spring 2023 Welcoming NH Newsletter.

https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=a0bd93ee8899642bf6cfc344d&id=caaad68bc5

Check out the Spring 2023 Newsletter from Welcoming NH.

Immigrants face every issue affecting every other group in NH, the Elderly, the Young, Education, Voting Rights, Healthcare, including mental healthcare, employment and more.

As well as our Website and Newsletter Welcoming NH also facilitates a bimonthly table for those who work with and support immigrants in NH. If you aren’t on our email list for our newsletter or you’d like to attend our bi-monthly Table please email welcomingnh@miracoalition.org.