Overview

Immigration has a significant impact on California’s economy, both in terms of the labor force and goods movement. The current system allows for a substantial level of illegal immigration, while the legal immigration levels are set far too low to meet the demand for labor in the U.S. economy. This flawed policy has significant implications for California’s economy.

Goal

Reform U.S. immigration policy to ensure the state's continued prosperity.

Positon

The CalChamber supports:

• Providing greater border security with the federal government investing adequate federal resources so that borders act as a line of defense against those who pose security threats to this country, but also allow for legitimate commerce and travel.
• Establishing a guest worker program to help meet growing demand for workers.
• Improving the visa program, based on market demand, to help meet the labor needs of the employer community.
• Combining stricter enforcement with 100 percent reliable employment, including a timely, efficient and accurate verification system.
• Addressing the status of the 12 million undocumented/illegal workers already in the country by creating an earned pathway to legal status with qualifying criteria.

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