One of the solutions to solving the current labor shortage is to increase our workforce by turning to undocumented workers who are already in the U.S., Kristian Ramos writes for Salon.  

To do that "... we must provide a path for immediate legal status to the 11 million undocumented workers who already here — and offer them a path to citizenship," writes Ramos. Large majorities of American adults, including conservatives, moderates and liberals (77%), want Democrats and Republicans to work together "this year on immigration reforms on reforms that could help lower food prices by ensuring a legal, reliable workforce for America’s farmers and ranchers," per our recent poll.  

"We are at our best when we adopt a growth mindset — one that allows people who are drawn to our country to help grow the economy and pay into the system, and to do so with dignity and the ability to participate fully in American life. … Now is the time to create greater opportunity for all, rebuild our country and honor and integrate those who are already here, and who have become American in every way but their documentation," concludes Ramos. 

Just yesterday, a diverse coalition of businesses sent a letter to Congress to pass bipartisan immigration reforms that would address labor shortages, supply chain challenges, food security concerns and inflation by providing permanent protections for Dreamers, the agricultural workforce and other workers. 

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Forum Daily.  I’m Becka Wall, the Forum’s digital communications VP. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].  

MIGRANTS AT MARTHA’S VINEYARD — When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) unexpectedly sent two private planes of nearly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday, the island’s residents sprang into action to help, report Janelle Nanos and Brittany Bowker of the Boston Globe. Residents helped gather and distribute food and water and aided others with medical care, while vans transported migrants to the community services center for additional support. "None of them wanted to come to Martha’s Vineyard. They’ve never heard of Martha’s Vineyard. This was a political move," said Lisa Belcastro, who runs a homeless shelter on the island. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant was allegedly misled about the true intent of the initiative, and paid to help recruit migrants from outside San Antonio migrant resource to fill the flight, per San Antonio Report’s Raquel Torres. Today, high-level Biden officials are expected to meet and discuss "‘litigation options’" in response to GOP governors continuing "to transport unauthorized immigrants from the border to other parts of the country," reports Stef W. Kight of Axios. As we noted yesterday, these are human beings seeking protection. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not as pawns in a political stunt. 

47 PERCENT — Almost half of asylum seekers in the U.S. returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols, or "Remain-in-Mexico" program, said they’d been abused by local officials, per a new Human Rights First report released Thursday, reports Maya Averbuch of Bloomberg. The report reviewed 2,688 interviews of asylum seekers conducted between January and August. "Most of the migrants were from Latin America, and 47% said they’d been robbed or extorted by Mexican government officials, including immigration agents and security forces," writes Averbuch. Yet, as she notes, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez insisted that his government doesn’t tolerate corruption nor abuse by security forces.  

DREAMS BEYOND LEGAL STATUS —Entrepreneurship is one way immigrants can achieve their dreams in the absence of legal status permitting them to apply to formal jobs. For The Los Angeles Times, Cindy Carcamo features entrepreneur, Alessandro Negrete, who did not qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections a decade ago, pushing him to look for alternative opportunities. He is now a communications strategy consultant at his very own company, Alessandro Advisors. Negrete is among the nearly 820,000 entrepreneurs without legal status in the country, according to a study by the New American Economy. Like him, some young undocumented immigrants are forming limited liability companies or pursuing freelance careers, given the uncertainty of the pending DACA rule, Carcamo notes. 

HEALTH CARE SOLUTIONS — Increasing immigration can help address critical labor shortages, especially in the senior living health care industry, reports Kimberly Bonvissuto of McKnights Senior Living. Immigrants should be able "to make a career, a good living and a difference in their own lives and the lives of others," wrote American Seniors Housing Association President and CEO David Schless in a recent statement for the record to the Senate Judiciary subcommittee. "Senior living plays a significant role in the greater healthcare system, and these workers are key to maintaining the health and well-being of the residents they serve, thereby reducing the need for more critical services or hospitalization." One of our policy experts, Dan Kosten, wrote a paper last May about how and why immigrants are needed to help care for the aging U.S. population. 

LITTLE AMAL IN NY — Little Amal, which means "hope" in Arabic, is a 10-year-old Syrian girl — and refugee puppet — who has traveled throughout Europe, meeting "a million people on her quest to find safety and a better life," writes Amir Nizar Zuabi, playwright, director and organizer of the Little Amal project, for The New York Times. And she just arrived in New York City Wednesday, ready to be welcomed. "For me, what Amal brings to New York — its communities, institutions, artists and children — is a beautiful mixture of sensitivity and resistance," notes Zuabi. "Or, more precisely, resilience through vulnerability. She invites us to remember the big idea on which the city was built. And what the city still aspires to."