WASHINGTON, D.C. – This November, members of the 2024 FWD.us Texas Partnership visited Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress to advocate for commonsense immigration solutions that strengthen Texas’ workforce and economy. The delegation included representatives from the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the North Texas Commission, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Houston Partnership, the Texas Association of Business, the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Texas Restaurant Association.

During the fly-in hosted by FWD.us, the delegation met with lawmakers from Texas to share their stories and perspectives regarding immigration reform in the United States. As constituents, the participants spoke directly to their representatives about the need for Congressional action that prioritizes commonsense immigration solutions that allow immigrants to continue contributing to our country’s workforce, especially as Texas continues to face labor shortages across multiple critical industries.

Texas is home to over 5 million immigrants, making up 17.2 percent of the state’s total population. These individuals need the opportunity to pursue a pathway to legal status and citizenship, and Congress has the authority to implement solutions for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, such as by creating permanent protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients or by extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections.

Zaira Garcia, FWD.us Regional Government Relations Director, said, “Bringing members of our Texas Partnership for this important day on Capitol Hill was a great display of the importance of advocacy around immigration reform this Lame Duck session and as we approach a new Congress. We are grateful to our partners and to the lawmakers who engaged with us in this important effort. I look forward to our continued work in the coming weeks and months to secure lasting policy solutions for Texas, our immigrant friends and neighbors and the entire economy.”

Diego Aldrete, Policy Manager at the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, said, “Employers are frustrated with the lack of progress in providing updated legal pathways to grow our workforce through immigration. I am proud to work with elected officials in Washington, DC to ensure the voice of the San Antonio business community is represented.”

Steven Brown, Partner at Reddy Neumann PC and member of the Greater Houston Partnership Immigration Advisory Committee, said, “Immigrants fuel the Houston economy, and it is past time for the U.S. to provide them with long-term protections and modernize our employment-based immigration system. I’m thrilled to have had the chance to sit down with our elected officials in D.C. and advocate for positive immigration reform.”

Andrea Coker, Vice President of Strategic Communication & Federal Advocacy at the North Texas Commission, said, “North Texas immigrants help our region thrive. Following this trip to Washington, I urge our leaders to prioritize immigration reform that keeps our economy competitive and reflects the needs of our communities.”

Travis Krogman, Vice President of State & Federal Government Relations at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, said, “Immigrants make up nearly a quarter of Texas’ workforce. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to support the state’s immigrant workforce along with leaders from other Texas business groups in D.C. this week.”

Hugo Lagarda, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) and member of the Greater Houston Partnership Immigration Advisory Committee, said, “Immigrant communities are essential parts of Houston’s social fabric and fuel our growing economy. I’m ready to work with Congress to advance sensible immigration reforms.”

Julia Muzquiz, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Texas Association of Business (TAB), said, “Texas’ business landscape would not be the same without our immigrant community members. We rely on their skills and contributions for Texas to be the successful state that it is today. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with lawmakers and share our perspectives on this important matter.”

Daniel Silva, President and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership (RGV Partnership), said, “If lawmakers give immigrants clear pathways to achieve permanent status and work authorization, we all will reap the benefits. In the Rio Grande Valley, immigrants play an essential role in supporting our workforce and economy, and I appreciate the opportunity to share these concerns and requests for reform with members of Congress.”

Curtis Smith, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA), said, “Many critical Texas industries would suffer without the help of immigrants in our state – immigrant workers make up over 50 percent of our landscaping services workforce. We need permanent legislative solutions that will allow them to continue benefiting our labor force and economy.”

Kelsey Erickson Streufert, Chief Public Affairs Officer at the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), said, “Texas’ restaurant industry would not be the same without the contributions of immigrants across the state. I am so happy to have gotten the chance to meet with elected officials on Capitol Hill and advocate for solutions for this essential subset of our population.”

Chris Wallace, President and CEO of the North Texas Commission, said, “As we enter the Lame Duck session and await the new Congress in the coming months, it is important that positive immigration solutions are top of mind for lawmakers. I look forward to continuing to work with the members that we met with on this fly-in and others who are going to champion this cause.”