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mary jane beleza and lindsey lewis
3 hours ago
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Combating the job shortage requires hiring more people, but that’s not easy, especially for immigrants, who make up one-fifth of Nevada’s workforce.
Antonio Muñoz, owner of 911 Taco Bar and Catering, knows all too well the challenges immigrants face. His mother brought him to the United States in the 1980s. Her pardon allowed her to obtain citizenship.
“I have other family members who have worked here for 20 to 30 years, contributing to the community and paying taxes. Until recently, they were unable to establish some kind of residency here and live the American dream. But they needed it.” It’s been going on for over 20 years,” Muñoz said.
That’s one reason Muñoz participated in a roundtable Tuesday morning with other business leaders about how to strengthen the workforce by hiring more people, including immigrants.
“This discussion was important because it made us realize that there are all these unfilled job opportunities, especially in the construction industry,” Muñoz added.
While new home construction may help lower home prices, job openings are impacting the construction workforce.
“Latest numbers for 2024 show 6,000 Californians moving and about 800 homes sold, and that’s not even the demand from Nevadans moving, so it’s a serious supply and demand issue.” said Amanda Moss, senior director of government affairs for the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association. she explained.
Moss said part of the solution is to help workers obtain employment permits and access work opportunities, while also asking local leaders to make administrative reforms to support immigrants. said.
“The immigrants and first- and second-generation people who live here are working hard and ready to work,” Moss said. “Construction is not easy. It’s a difficult position to be in, swinging a hammer and banging on roofs in the middle of summer. That’s why our members are working hard to attract a qualified workforce and make these jobs affordable. We are doing the best we can, and a lot of our labor is from immigrant populations.”
James O’Neill, political director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, hopes the president will further expand the parole employment program, which allows non-citizens to work legally.
“The President of the United States has the ability and authority to extend workforce authorization through a mechanism called parole. Currently, there are 1.1 million illegal spouses of American citizens who cannot legally work in the United States. These are people who don’t have a permit and have a spouse who is a U.S. citizen. Most people think that if they marry an American citizen, they get the paperwork and can apply for a green card. For most people, that’s not the case,” O’Neill said. he said. “The ultimate solution to these problems that we face is immigration reform, immigration reform through legislation in Congress. That’s why we want the president to use his authority to solve this problem and succeed. I look forward to being prepared for it.”
Click here for more information about the parole program.
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