GCSAA publishes specialized information on a frequent basis that drills down on top advocacy issues and activities.
By Vilmer Alvarado, government affairs intern
GCSAA recently spoke with the head of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) to hear the latest on the state of U.S. immigration policy. The Senate is making a third attempt to pass a major immigration provision as part of the congressional budget reconciliation process. After having two previous attempts rejected by the senate parliamentarian, this could be Democrats last chance to amend immigration laws before next year’s midterm elections. Under consideration is a provision that would allow undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before 2011 to apply for a renewable five-year parole which would grant work and travel authorization under the U.S Department of Homeland Security. This is a narrower approach than the prior proposals, which would have granted permanent residency status to undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors (Dreamers) and those unable to return home safely. Both efforts were rejected by the senate parliamentarian on the grounds of being outside the scope of the budget reconciliation legislation.
This time EWIC believes Senate Democrats have a 50/50 chance of seeing this proposal being approved by the senate parliamentarian. Beyond this, the Biden Administration is focusing on what EWIC terms as “humanitarian immigration” policies that deal with the migration crisis at the southern border.
GCSAA also discussed the H-2B Visa program, which is crucial for golf and other seasonal businesses that are unable to meet their labor needs, The current cap for the program stands at 66,000 which EWIC agrees is unrealistically low. Permanent reform through legislation currently seems difficult to accomplish but a cap extension can be accomplished through the congressional appropriations process, an advocacy strategy GCSAA is pursuing. Additionally, GCSAA is advocating for H. R. 3897, the “Returning Worker Exemption Act”, which would greatly increase the number of visas available for golf. Through passage of this legislation, individuals who have been approved on the H-2B visa in the past three years would be allowed to return to the country without having to go through the entire recruitment process again: meaning that individuals who qualify for this provision would be exempt from the 66,000-person cap.