Allred and Woody Hunt Op-ed in Dallas Morning News: Work permits ‘good for our economy and reflect who we are as Americans and Texans.’

DALLAS – On Sunday, Dallas Morning News published an op-ed cosigned by Congressman Colin Allred and Woody Hunt, senior chair of the board of directors of Hunt Companies.

Together, the two outline how extending work permits to family members of U.S. citizens is not only a common sense, bipartisan solution to a broken immigration system, but “a win-win” for Texas families and the state economy.

Key excerpts:

• “Over 3 million U.S. citizens in Texas live with someone who is undocumented, such as a spouse or a parent…They are critical to our economy and our competitiveness, paying$4 billion in taxes and wielding a spending power of $33.9 billion. Meanwhile… The U.S. Chamber reports that for every 100 open jobs in Texas, there are only 80 available workers.”
• “There’s a simple, bipartisan solution that’s a win-win for Texas families and our Texas economy. Since 2008, the federal government has extended work permits to spouses and children of U.S. military service members and veterans. Congress and the Biden administration should expand this opportunity to other American families.”
• “This simple fix could reunite families like the Avilas. Jorge and Daniela Avila have been married for 17 years. He and their children are U.S. citizens; she is a Mexican national. On the day of Daniela’s immigration interview, an immigration officer told her that she could not get a green card without first leaving the United States and waiting outside for 10 years. So they are now living in two different countries…With a simple common sense fix, Daniela could come home. Her family would get their mom back. And Texas would gain another available worker to contribute to our state’s economy.”
• “The crisis at our border is just one facet of a broken, polarized immigration system. The crisis in our workforce is another. We can both secure our border and enact immigration solutions that meet the needs of our economy and families.”
• “Across the country, at least 5.5 million U.S. citizens under the age of 18, and 5.8 million adult U.S. citizens live with an undocumented spouse, parent or other loved one. These are already American families. They just need the federal government to let them live like families. It’s good for our economy and reflects who we are as Americans and as Texans.”

Allred has long championed comprehensive immigration reform that would secure our border, meet the needs of our economy, and reflect our values as Texans and Americans. He is proud to be a cosponsor of the Dignity Act, a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform package led by El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar.