Democrats, industry groups press for immigration changes post-midterms

WASHINGTON — Democrats and business leaders publicly lobbied the Trump administration Wednesday to prioritize work permits and other protections for long-term immigrants during the lame-duck session of Congress and beyond.

Citing the midterm elections, when Democrats flipped the U.S House and Senate, and President Donald Trump’s recent admission that his immigration crackdown hurt Republicans at the ballot box, Democratic lawmakers argued that voters were clear about wanting immigration reform before the start of the next Congress. 

Congress has a lengthy to-do-list for the lame-duck session, possibly including government funding, the annual defense policy bill, the farm bill, a measure to regulate the college sports landscape and permitting reform to ease regulation on large construction projects. 

“We owe it to these families to try anything, and I’m willing to try anything,” Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego said. 

He was joined by American Business Immigration Coalition Action, which lobbies for work permits and legal pathways for long-term immigrants, and the South Texas Builders Association, a local trade group that represents the construction industry that has a workforce that is 30% immigrant nationwide, and Democratic U.S. House members from Texas.

Asked how receptive the White House would be to work permits for immigrants, which the administration has vigorously worked to limit, Gallego didn’t directly answer.

Trump’s mixed signals 

The administration has revoked millions of immigrants’ work permits in the last two years. Many were workers in hospitality, healthcare and the construction industries. 

But shortly after the midterm elections, the president said he was open to  making a deal on work permits in certain industries. 

At the same time, though, he elevated Stephen Miller, an official who has crafted some of the president’s harshest immigration policies, to White House chief of staff. 

“I think right now the best thing the White House could do is to actually try to send some type of signal, besides talk, that they’re serious about this, and the way to do that is to have some reforms already at (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” Gallego said. 

“Whether it’s shutting down the detention centers, giving (a) certain level of protections, whether to veterans so they don’t get deported, to maybe parents of U.S. students so they don’t get deported, something to show that it’s not just talk, and this isn’t going to be a policy that’s led by Stephen Miller,” he added.

The vice chair of South Texas Builders Association, Benny Melendez, had a pointed message for Miller.

“If you want to continue harassing our communities, prepare yourself not only to lose your job, but … these same communities you are now harassing will make sure you lose the White House” in 2028, he said. 

Next Congress

If lawmakers are unable to get any major reforms through the crowded end-of-year session, Democrats are looking ahead to when they control both chambers next year.

House Republicans on Tuesday elected Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump supporter who has not supported immigration reform, to lead them in the minority. 

Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, the incoming chair on the subcommittee that handles government funding for the Department of Homeland Security, said he’s not worried about Jordan because  Democrats will have a majority in January.

Cuellar, whom Trump pardoned after he and his wife were indicted on charges of bribery, money laundering and conspiracy, said he’s going to use his subcommittee gavel to add guardrails on ICE and clear the backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes legal immigrants.

Gallego said he thinks the Senate will be able to get to 60 votes on some type of immigration reform legislation in the 120th Congress, when Democrats will have at least 54 and up to 56 seats depending on races that are still too close to call.

Whether that overhaul is in one bill or a series of increments is up for debate, Gallego said. 

“If we can pass a big, beautiful conference immigration reform bill, the Trump immigration reform bill, and if that gets them on our side or not, then let’s do that,” Gallego said. “But if that doesn’t work, then I do think incremental passes to start protecting different communities I think is also an option. We should not avoid that either.”