President̢??‰?s Executive Action on Immigration Reform Good News for Small Business, Economy

The president̢??‰?s decision to instate a host of executive actions to reform our nation̢??‰?s immigration system will help drive new business growth and ensure small businesses have adequate access to a skilled workforce.

Having access to a qualified workforce is of paramount importance to entrepreneurs looking to grow and expand their businesses. Our scientific opinion poll found 1 in 5 small business owners who have hired immigrants say it̢??‰?s because they can't find enough U.S. citizens to fill jobs. In fact, many small employers who have chosen to hire immigrants say one of the biggest challenges they face in using immigrant labor is concern about following the letter of the law.

This underscores why it̢??‰?s critical to improve our immigration system and make it easier for employers to understand and comply with its requirements̢??‰۝and why executive actions that move us closer to fixing the system are so crucial.

However, we still need Congress to move forward on comprehensive reform. This would create a more stable workforce̢??‰۝something small businesses desperately need right now̢??‰۝and pad our country̢??‰?s coffers. Specifically, two-thirds of small business owners believe we should allow more low-skilled foreign workers who might work in the agricultural, restaurant or service industries into this country legally, and a vast three-quarters agree the most appropriate solution for handling the 11 million undocumented immigrants is to create a path toward citizenship so those here illegally can become legal taxpayers, pay their fair share and work toward citizenship in the future.

A resounding 88 percent of small employers believe our current immigration system is broken. The president̢??‰?s actions takes us one step closer to repairing our flawed system, reinvigorating the entrepreneurial spirit and getting Americans back to work. But there̢??‰?s still more work to be done. The time to do it is now.