SHRM Statement on the Biden Administration’s New Actions for U.S. Immigrants

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Emily M. Dickens, SHRM Chief of Staff and Head of Government Affairs, issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration's new action for U.S. immigrants:

SHRM appreciates the Biden Administration taking steps to address two long-term unresolved issues in the U.S. workplace immigration system by extending work authorization to undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and establishing a more streamlined process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who are U.S. college graduates and have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree to more quickly receive work visas.  

SHRM research found that 57% of organizations reported that they would benefit from an increase in available and legally authorized workers on visas, with medium and large employers agreeing at higher levels. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in April 2024, there were 8.1 million open jobs in the U.S. and 2.7 million more job openings than unemployed workers. Workforce shortages affect all sectors, from white-collar to blue-collar workers, and across all industries, from manufacturing to caregivers to agriculture. The uncertainty in the U.S. workplace immigration system burdens both workers and employers, including HR professionals who are dedicated to recruiting, retaining, reskilling, and upskilling talent to meet the needs of an ever-evolving workforce. 

SHRM and its members look forward to working with the Biden Administration in implementing today’s executive order and continuing to work with Congress to advance bipartisan policy solutions that remove arbitrary barriers for U.S. companies to access skilled, legally authorized workers. 

About SHRM

SHRM is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today’s evolving workplaces.  With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. Discover more at SHRM.org