U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Ray Luj谩n (D-NM) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representative Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07) joined the James Beard Foundation, Independent Restaurant Coalition, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, ABIC Action and other leaders from the Seat the Table coalition Tuesday to call on Congress to act in the November lame duck session on immigration solutions already on the table.
, or you can watch video highlights on , or .
Speakers stood beside a 7-foot-tall 鈥渕enu鈥� displaying legislative proposals currently pending before Congress that would help with workforce shortages, relieve pressure on food prices and help stabilize families and communities across the country.
鈥淭his should not be hard. Democrats and Republicans, take a look at the menu, see which one you want to vote for and let鈥檚 get after it,鈥� said U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luj谩n (D-NM).
Explore the menu options below:
SENATE:
(Durbin-Murkowski)
(Van Hollen)
(Kelly-Curtis)
(Cortez-Masto)
to extend TPS for Haiti (Markey)
HOUSE:
(Escobar-Salazar)
(Garcia-Salazar)
(Vindman)
(Newhouse-Lofgren).
鈥淧eople of good faith and reality can solve these problems. Are we out of time this year? Hell no, we鈥檙e not out of time. We can put a bill together and pass it in the Senate and the House in the remaining days left in this session,鈥� said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), lead sponsor of the Dream Act of 2025.
The solutions on the menu would 鈥渆nsure food affordability and safeguard workers, small businesses, families and communities. These options are already sitting here on Congress鈥檚 plate,鈥� said Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC Action. 鈥淲hen we pull highly productive, long-term workers out of farms, packing plants, grocery stores and restaurant kitchens, there is simply no one to replace them.鈥�
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), lead sponsor of the SECURE Act, said the legislation would provide 鈥渋mportant certainty and stability to people who are here on TPS, people who have legal status, undergo regular background checks and have been important parts of our communities.鈥�
U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07) spoke about the bill he introduced to extend Salvadoran TPS and employment authorization for the next 18 months. His comments at the press event were on Salvadoran TPS.
Restaurant leaders described how immigration enforcement has disrupted operations and created a climate of fear, contributing to the loss of experienced employees, declining customer traffic and greater strain on businesses already operating on thin margins.
鈥淧eople aren鈥檛 showing up for work because they are scared. I鈥檝e seen businesses in my town change their hours because they simply don鈥檛 have the help, and I鈥檝e seen hotels take rooms offline because they cannot service them鈥e have solutions here before us. Congress, it鈥檚 time to act,鈥� said Bill Lay, Restaurant Owner in Key West, Florida, and Member of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
Lay was also . 鈥溾�淚f this continues, this will devastate the local economy down here,鈥� Lay told the NYT.
CTA BUTTON: Tell your lawmakers: 鈥業t鈥檚 time to act鈥�
Midterm Watch: Comit茅 de 100
With fewer than 50 days until the 2026 midterms, new polling and campaign developments are highlighting the importance of Hispanic voters, particularly in closely contested states and districts.
over his immigration enforcement policies in a , The Hill and others reported, saying some enforcement efforts have 鈥済one too far.鈥�
鈥淢r. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far鈥he same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today,鈥� said Salazar, who represents a Miami-area district that is 74% Hispanic, underscoring the critical nature of immigration as an election issue in South Florida.
The new ad comes on the heels of .
Speakers focused on border security and reduced crossings while largely avoiding discussion of mass deportations. That鈥檚 a sharp contrast from two years ago, as immigration policy has turned into more of a liability for Republican candidates, especially among Hispanic voters.
Democratic candidates lead their Republican opponents by roughly 2-to-1 among Hispanic voters in the Senate and governor’s races, according to a of 1,000 Hispanic likely voters in Texas, conducted August 26鈥揝eptember 3.
Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic voters said they would be less likely to support a candidate who backs Trump’s deportation policy. The Texas polling also showed that the 2024 coalition that brought significant Hispanic support to Trump is not static: 18% of Hispanic Texans who voted for Trump in 2024 now disapprove of his job performance, while 19% say they support Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton.
of 1,503 likely voters conducted S found voters giving Democrats an edge over Republicans on several major issues. On immigration, 52% said they trusted Democrats more to handle the issue, compared with 45% who trusted Republicans. The poll also found the economy and cost of living were among voters’ central concerns.
TPS Uncertainty Continues for Employers, Savadorans
Last week the federal government chose to keep for El Salvador in place, for now, but the lack of long-term guidance left both employers and immigrant workers in limbo as they wait for what鈥檚 next, reports . The article featured ABIC Action鈥檚 letter, signed by nearly 60 employers and organizations, to President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin urging the government to extend work permits for Salvadorans with TPS.
鈥淲e fully support a secure and orderly border to ensure public safety. We must also protect the economic foundation of our nation by stabilizing our existing, law-abiding workforce,鈥� the letter states.
Many people with Salvadoran TPS have been legally working and contributing to the economy for more than 25 years.
鈥淎s happened with Haiti TPS, there have been multiple instances of new rules or guidance being released with little to no notice,鈥� LeadingAge Associate Director of Immigration Advancement Shane Myers told McKnight鈥檚, which causes disruptions for both care providers and seniors.
As workers with TPS have lost legal status, like the many Haitian TPS workers supporting America鈥檚 healthcare and senior care industries, employers have been forced to make impossible decisions, lawyer . Shi said staffing losses have led to wings of facilities shutting down, and will drive up prices for consumers.
鈥淲hen we remove highly productive, skilled immigrants from the workforce, whether they’re caring for 91探花 elderly, growing our food or building our homes, that’s going to affect 91探花s in the pocketbook,” Shi said.
. Stores are empty, many shops now have their metal shutters down, a popular restaurant in the area had most of its staff picked up by ICE, and a nearby barbershop closed after the owner got detained.
Economic Fallout of Deportations
, including jobs held by U.S.-born workers. Immigration policy is shrinking whole industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor. The analysis also warns that enforcement-driven labor shortages could push up costs for food, housing, home care and other services.
The potential economic effects are already visible in some of the country鈥檚 fastest-growing regions. , along with the flow of workers and economic expansion across Houston and the broader Sun Belt. With low birth rates and an aging population adding to the demographic challenge, reduced immigration could contribute to labor shortages, weaker tax revenues and slower long-term economic growth.
Fallout is also continuing from a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai manufacturing project in Georgia last year. R, alleging unlawful arrests, coercion and poor detention conditions. Many were in the United States for specialized technical work.
Meanwhile, proposed changes to legal immigration could affect U.S. retention of highly skilled workers. and several other high-skilled visa holders to remain in the United States after losing a job while seeking new employment.
Perspectives
The WSJ Editorial Board writes that Rep. Mar铆a Elvira Salazar鈥檚 new campaign ad is a signal of growing political concern within the GOP over President Trump鈥檚 immigration enforcement strategy.
鈥淢r. Trump would do better to take Ms. Salazar鈥檚 ad as a constructive warning. If her seat is really in play, then the GOP gerrymanders in Florida and Texas might not go the way the party expects in November, and other seats thought to be safe could be in play.
It鈥檚 mid-September, late to turn the ship, but here鈥檚 one idea: Mr. Trump has often spoken favorably of 鈥淒reamers,鈥� who were brought to this country as children. Perhaps he could announce that, in his final two years as President, he will push hard for a deal in Congress to let them stay.鈥�
Get Involved
- Join one of ABIC’s Councils of 100 and let your voice be heard with your peers – . The Council of 100 is a coalition of top business leaders working to advance common-sense workforce solutions.
- Share your story: If your business is interested in engaging with the press as part of ABIC or amplifying your story on social media, take this to let us know your preferences.聽
- Work with us: ABIC is hiring! We are looking for a California State Director and Digital Manager to join our growing team. Learn more.
ABIC in the news. . .
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