On Wednesday, the US Chamber of Commerce gave its support to undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors, saying they should be allowed to legally remain in the country, adding that Congress needs to find a solution before the close of 2017.
The Chamber also opposed the legislation, sponsored by Arkansas Senator, Tom Cotton, to cut the number of legal immigrants that the US accepts. Neil Bradley, the Senior Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, who is also the chief policy officer, made clear the position of his organization at a morning news conference, which also saw speeches from the pro-immigration coalition FWD.us and an IBM executive.
Since its introduction in 2012 via an executive order from President Barack Obama, almost 800,000 immigrants have become successful applicants of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It provided renewable two-year permits allowing them to legally work in the US and gave protection from the threat of deportation. But, in September, the Justice Department decided to start phasing out the program from March 2018, with President Donald Trump allowing a six-month window in which Congress could replace the program with a legislative solution.
The chamber has urged both the Senate and the House of Representatives to take immediate action on the issue, saying that two months have passed since Trump asked them to take up the challenge, with nothing done so far.