US Grants: Chicago restaurateur Sam Sanchez expressed frustration over President Biden’s decision to extend work eligibility to nearly half a million Venezuelans, many of whom recently crossed the border illegally.
As a board member of the National Restaurant Association, Sanchez criticized the prioritization of new arrivals over immigrants who have been in the country for years, waiting for Congress to provide them a legal path to work.
US Grants Work…
Juan, 53, echoed Sanchez’s sentiments, emphasizing the unfairness felt by long-term immigrants like himself, who have built lives and families in the U.S. while living unlawfully.
Biden’s move to grant temporary work permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants aims to reduce their reliance on shelters and aid, especially in cities like Chicago and New York facing a surge in migration.
However, immigrant advocacy groups, along with employers of undocumented immigrants and their U.S.-citizen children, now urge the president to extend similar measures to the over 8M individuals barred from legal employment.
Biden faces a challenging balancing act as he navigates immigration policy. Favouring newcomers over longstanding immigrants risks alienating Latino voters, traditionally a Democratic stronghold.
With increasing support for Republican candidates among Latino voters, Biden must carefully manage the perception of his immigration decisions to maintain political support.