Taking citizenship off the table could be pivotal
Some advocates of immigration reform are
beginning to support granting undocumented immigrants legal status, while not
making citizenship part of the legalization process. Both President Obama and
House Speaker John Boehner have signaled a willingness to compromise on the
issue. Latinos continue to favor reform that provides a path to citizenship,
but a majority said that the ability to work in the US without fear of
deportation was more important in a Pew Research Center poll. That may provide
the key political opening for a bill to move this year – a bill that provides
those in the US illegally the right to work but not the right to vote.
What
it means for business owners:
If it passes,
immigration reform legislation potentially enables small businesses to hire and
retain workers without fear of turnover from immigration enforcement
proceedings.
What
to expect:
Democrats and
Republicans speculate that Boehner will wait until the filing deadlines for the
2014 midterm elections to introduce immigration legislation, to protect
colleagues from Tea Party or other challengers.
Further
reading:
For more information on the possibility of immigration reform in 2014, see the AP, McClatchy, ABC’s This
Week, US News
& World Report,
New York
Times, and Bloomberg
News.
This news article is intended to keep small business
owners apprised of current events that may affect them. It does not necessarily
reflect NFIB’s policy position on such issues.
