Guest Worker: Essential Worker Immigration Still Needed

EWIC is a coalition of businesses, trade associations, and other organizations from across the industry spectrum concerned with the shortage of both skilled and lesser skilled ("essential worker") labor.

Greenberg Traurig Shareholder Laura Reiff is a co-chair of the coalition. The US-Mexico talks are back in the news and the White House is once again focusing on efforts to coordinate a guest worker or new H temporary worker program to assist employers in hiring lesser or unskilled workers.

INS Commissioner, James Ziglar reported on headway being made on these programs, at a conference hosted by the National Immigration Forum. He assured the audience of the Administration’s continuing interest in the talks and commented on the relationship of this topic to national security. “I believe that one of the best ways to enhance our security, frankly, is by breaking the backbone of this underground, illegal human trafficking," Ziglar said, referring to the estimated 8 million illegal workers currently living in the United States, many of whom are from Mexico. "Bring these folks into the light of day," he said. "Give them a status that makes sense, and that will, in the final analysis, help all of us.

For more information see www.EWIC.org

Return to GT Immigration Observer Table of Contents