The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy has been a hot topic among politicians, businesses and the individuals who are able to legally work and stay in the U.S. because of it.
The hospitality industry is known to employ a large immigrant workforce, so it’s not a surprise that the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released a statement in support of DACA recipients.
Following is AHLA President and CEO Katherine Lugar’s statement on DACA published on Feb. 14, 2018.
“The hotel industry is fundamentally an industry of people,” Lugar said. “Our employees are as global as our guests. We are proud of our diverse workforce, which includes a large component of international workers, both permanent residents of the United States and those here temporarily for employment.
“That’s why it’s imperative that Congress and the Administration to find a permanent solution for the [DACA] recipients. The hotel industry is a significant employer of DACA recipients, and AHLA has been a leader in advocating for a legislative solution to provide them with permanent status.
“Unfortunately, we are well past the point of avoiding disruption to businesses and, more importantly, the lives of our employees and their families," she added.
“Protecting DACA recipients is both compassionate and common sense. We implore the Senate to find a permanent legislative solution that provides Dreamers with the legal certainty they deserve.
“We thank Senator McConnell and Senator Schumer for their leadership on this issue, and stand ready to support them in passing a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients.”
AHLA also published a letter addressed to Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer.
On Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, a bipartisan group of senators working on immigration legislation, referred to as the Common Sense Coalition, reportedly reached a consensus on a plan that would establish a pathway to citizenship for the nearly two million immigrants that are currently protected under the DACA program.
President Trump previously said he would end the DACA program in March 2018, unless Congress fixes it. He also mentioned that he would “veto anything short of his demands,” according to Salon.com.
