The Associated General Contractors of America’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the introduction in Congress today of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021:
“The proposed new immigration bill provides long-needed reforms to the nation’s flawed approach to immigration. By proposing to protect the legal status of so-called “Dreamers” and immigrants participating in the Temporary Protected Status program, the measure will allow more than 100,000 people to continue working lawfully in the construction industry. In addition, the bill’s efforts to provide a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants will, if enacted, help eliminate the exploitation of undocumented workers by unscrupulous employers that puts our member firms at an unfair competitive disadvantage.
“However, the bill’s lack of a year-round, work visa program for construction workers makes it likely that many more will seek to enter the country unlawfully, especially in times of strong economic growth. The measure’s whistle blower provisions create perverse incentives for undocumented workers to make unsubstantiated workplace allegations simply to secure protected status within the domestic workforce.
“Moving forward, we will work with Congress to address the bill’s significant flaws as we work to protect or provide legal status for many who currently work in the construction community so they can continue to support economic growth and development.”
Related Stories
Coronavirus | May 26, 2020
9 tips for mastering virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mike Aziz, AIA, presents 9 tips for mastering virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus | May 18, 2020
Infection control in office buildings: Preparing for re-occupancy amid the coronavirus
Making workplaces safer will require behavioral resolve nudged by design.
Data Centers | May 8, 2020
Data centers as a service: The next big opportunity for design teams
As data centers compete to process more data with lower latency, the AEC industry is ideally positioned to develop design standards that ensure long-term flexibility.
Coronavirus | Apr 30, 2020
Gilbane shares supply-chain status of products affected by coronavirus
Imported products seem more susceptible to delays
Coronavirus | Apr 14, 2020
COVID-19 alert: Missouri’s first Alternate Care Facility ready for coronavirus patients
Missouri’s first Alternate Care Facility ready for coronavirus patients
AEC Tech | Apr 13, 2020
A robotic dog becomes part of Swinerton’s construction technology arsenal
Boston Dynamics, the robot’s creator, has about 100 machines in the field currently.
Coronavirus | Apr 8, 2020
COVID-19 alert: Most U.S. roofing contractors hit by coronavirus, says NRCA
NRCA survey shows 52% of roofing contractor said COVID-19 pandemic was having a significant or very significant impact on their businesses.
Coronavirus | Apr 5, 2020
COVID-19: Most multifamily contractors experiencing delays in projects due to coronavirus pandemic
The NMHC Construction Survey is intended to gauge the magnitude of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on multifamily construction.
Coronavirus | Apr 4, 2020
COVID-19: Construction completed on first phase of Chicago's McCormick Place into Alternate Care Facility
Walsh Construction, one of the largest contractors in the city of Chicago and in the United States, is leading the temporary conversion of a portion of the McCormick Place Convention Center into an Alternate Care Facility (ACF) for novel coronavirus patients. Construction on the first 500 beds was completed on April 3.