Immigration Reform Improves Workforce Opportunities

Immigration is broken both for American business and for our citizens. Your Cheyenne Chamber is joining with hundreds of chambers and business organizations across this country to close the border, to secure our nation, and to fix legal immigration so that business can access the workers needed to ensure a strong future for our nation.

WY We Care

Wyoming business is in desperate need of more workforce. Our future economy depends on expanding our workforce with qualified, legal employees that are willing and able to work. These issues can only be addressed with bipartisan Congressional action. Your Cheyenne Chamber is joining business organizations across this nation to ask Congress to take action. Without immediate bipartisan action your roads, your bridges, your infrastructure, and your hometown businesses will suffer.

“We are in desperate need of Immigration Reform nationwide, but specifically in Laramie County. Our workforce deficit is hurting our small and large businesses. The reality is that we have a lot of people that want to work and are trying to go through the process legally, but the system is dragging us down. Immigration reform would give those that want to work an opportunity to be gainfully employed and contribute to the greater wealth of our business community,” said Tanya Keller, community non-profit leader and Vice-Chairman of Cheyenne Chamber Advocacy. 

Listen Up Congress!

This week, your Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce—together with over 430 chambers and business associations from all 50 states—launched the LIBERTY Campaign to secure our borders and update our broken legal immigration system.

The campaign kicked off with a letter to members of Congress, calling on elected officials to address the crisis at our border and the immigration-related critical workforce shortage before year’s end.

Wyoming’s Hurting Workforce

“Only one potential employee is available for every two job openings in our nation,” according to Jack Howard, Senior VP of Strategic Advocacy at the US Chamber. 

Among the most heavily affected industries in Cheyenne are construction companies that desperately need skilled workers. Without improved immigration that enables our businesses to enhance workforce, Cheyenne and the surrounding region will be unable to meet rising housing demands.

“Wyoming’s businesses are struggling to fill job positions in all sectors, from licensed professionals to skilled trades. Despite ongoing efforts to grow within and recruit new talent, our industries require additional workforce sources to keep up with community needs. Political gridlock for legal immigration and border security reform is a direct blow to our workforce needs and ability to perform critical work,” said Cailey Reiman, third generation business owner and Cheyenne Chamber Board Member.

What’s Going On?

Our current immigration system fails to meet the needs of the business community and imposes significant costs on American communities and our economy. Companies of all sizes are experiencing significant workforce shortages, and as a result, companies across a host of industries are wrestling with the chronic problems caused by their inability to adequately tap into global talent.

Inaction is Unacceptable

“Immigration and the border have been used as a political football for decades. The time is now to come up with a solution that strengthens our future economic potential and closes the border so our national security remains strong” said Dale Steenbergen, President and CEO of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce.

The vast majority of American voters—both Republican and Democrat—support policies to strengthen border security and make it easier to immigrate to the U.S., according to a recent Fox News poll. Three-quarters of voters favor making it easier to immigrate (73%) and increasing the number of border agents at the southern border (74%). 

“Our elected officials keep talking about securing the border and fixing our broken legal immigration system, but nothing ever seems to get done, and the problems just get worse. This coalition of over 430 business organizations has a simple message: Inaction on border security and legal immigration is unacceptable,” said Neil Bradley, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer.

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Story by J. Elizabeth Bennett

Elizabeth Bennett serves the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Marketing and Communications. She is passionate about working with the diverse communities in Cheyenne and creating accessible communications material that engages our chamber members.