Ahead of SCOTUS Arguments More Than 50 Chambers of Commerce Call on Congress to Protect DREAMers

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer:

As business leaders representing the most important industries in our nation, we are committed to promoting economic growth and job creation for all Americans. From manufacturing to agriculture, and from Main Street to Fortune 500 companies, the United States economy relies on our diverse, talented workforce to drive the country forward. That is why we are urgently calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to create permanent protections for Dreamers. These protections would allow immigrants in our communities and across the country to continue to pursue their education, contribute to our labor force and tax base, and start new businesses that create jobs.

With the Supreme Court hearing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program case tomorrow, a potentially devastating decision could be forthcoming that would prevent our immigrant neighbors from realizing their potential – as doctors, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and so much more – to everyone’s detriment. There are several bipartisan proposals to protect DACA, including the American Dream and Promise Act, the Dream Act, and the SECURE Act. Americans of all kinds agree that a solution is necessary, and urgent action must be taken.

Nationwide, there are 1.25 million Dreamers – immigrants brought to the United States as children – who are eligible for the DACA program. The current administration has attempted to terminate this program, and with a legal decision imminent, these immigrants could soon face deportation often after decades in the United States. These immigrants are driving economic growth in our communities. According to New American Economy, individuals eligible for DACA together earn $23 billion in total household income each year and contribute $4 billion of that income to federal, state, and local taxes that keep our metro areas moving.

Deporting these community members – including workers and employers, consumers and homeowners – would not only be devastating to families but also to local economies. Data from the Cato Institute estimates that deporting individuals who have DACA would cost the federal government over $60 billion, with an additional $280 billion in lost economic growth over the next decade. With national unemployment at near-record lows, this is a scenario we simply cannot afford.

As chambers of commerce, we cannot allow politics to stand in the way of economic growth. We call on you to pass a bipartisan deal to protect DACA recipients now. Our industries need that deal – and it will also lay the groundwork for the type of broader, common-sense immigration reforms that we need to compete globally. It’s time for Congress to put politics aside and do the right thing for our young people and for our economy. Our businesses and our communities depend on it.

Sincerely,

Ames Chamber of Commerce

Aurora Chamber of Commerce

Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Austin Chamber of Commerce

Boise Metro Chamber

Boulder Chamber

Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Dallas Regional Chamber

Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

Douglas Hispanic Chamber

Dubuque Chamber of Commerce

Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce (Arkansas)

Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce

Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

Greater Angleton Chamber of Commerce

Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce 

Greater Des Moines Partnership

Greater Houston Partnership

Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce

Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition

Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Greater Omaha Chamber

Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce

Greater Pueblo Chamber

Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

Longview Chamber of Commerce

Lubbock Chamber of Commerce

Maine State Chamber of Commerce

Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce

Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

North Dallas Chamber of Commerce

Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce (Maine)

Pottsboro Area Chamber of Commerce

Salt Lake Chamber

San Antonio Hispanic Chamber

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce

Sierra Vista Hispanic Chamber

South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce

The Silicon Valley Organization

Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Texas Association of Business

United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce

U.S. Bilateral African Chamber of Commerce

Download a PDF of the letter here.