On June 18, ASHA and the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requesting they consider policy changes and improvements to policies and programs addressing the critical need for legal channels for essential workers, including:

• Expand and Modernize Visa Programs: Streamline and broaden visa programs to better reflect the year-round and seasonal needs of today’s economy and ensure that legal channels are available for workers in all essential sectors.
• Promote Efficient and Fair Processing: Reduce bureaucratic delays and ensure that employers can quickly and reliably access the talent they need to keep their businesses running and expand economic growth.
• Provide Certainty and Stability: Offer solutions that allow long-serving, trusted essential workers—who have built lives and careers in the U.S.—to continue contributing to our communities if they meet certain qualifications.

Click here for the full letter.