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Know This Now, June 4, 2026: Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus Members and Dignity Act Sponsors Join the Structural Building Components Association and ABIC Action to Endorse Dignity Act, Launch Housing Affordability Tour 

By June 4, 2026June 8th, 2026No Comments

Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus Members and Dignity Act Sponsors Join the Structural Building Components Association and ABIC Action to Endorse Dignity Act, Launch Housing Affordability Tour 

ABIC Action and the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) were joined Thursday by bipartisan members of the Problem Solvers Caucus for a press conference to announce SBCA’s endorsement of the Dignity Act and launch the Housing Affordability Tour. Watch the full press conference here. 

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Speakers highlighted how the bipartisan Dignity Act would address construction labor shortages, increase housing supply, and reduce housing costs for American families. The event also marked the launch of the SBCA’s Housing Affordability Tour, which will bring lawmakers to construction and manufacturing sites across the country to learn about workforce challenges facing the homebuilding industry.

“The housing market is short an estimated 3.7 million homes. We cannot build our way out of this shortage because the construction industry relies on immigrants,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC Action.

“The Dignity Act is absolutely vital to lowering home prices for Americans by providing a legal pathway and stable work permits for long-term contributors.” –Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC Action

Lawmakers and industry leaders emphasized that ongoing labor shortages continue to slow construction and drive up costs:

“We cannot build the number of homes this country needs without a strong and reliable workforce.” Larry Dix, president of the Structural Building Components Association

“We need to embrace these valuable people who live in our communities, who do the hard work, and who make our communities work,” said Rep. Tom Suozzi. Watch highlights of his remarks.

“The Dignity Act is giving dignity back to American families…This is a bill for the average American worker. More workers mean more homes, more homes mean lower costs,” said Rep. Maria Salazar. Watch highlights of her remarks.

“Immigrants make up about one-third of the construction workforce. They are a critical part of the housing economy,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal. 

Speakers also emphasized that the Dignity Act is not amnesty, but is a practical step forward.

“This is not a fast pass to legal status for businesses or workers to abuse,” said Rep. Laura Gillen.

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More from the ABIC Network:

Maryland Governor Moore Hosts Roundtable Discussion on Economic Impact of Federal Immigration Policy

Governor Wes Moore joined business leaders and the American Business Immigration Coalition to discuss how federal immigration policies are affecting Maryland employers at a round table this week.

“The recent immigration policy coming out of Washington is stalling economic growth and hurting our workforce,” Moore said. “It is long past time for Congress to enact solutions that protect long-time immigrant contributors…providing stability to the businesses who rely on them.”

The round table highlighted the importance of immigrant workers across key industries and warned that mass deportations could lead to significant job losses and workforce shortages.

“Maryland employers are feeling firsthand the consequences of workforce shortages and rising costs, which is why ABIC is proud to partner with Governor Moore to advance practical workforce solutions like expanded work authorizations for long-term immigrants who are already here, working, and paying taxes and who already make up over 21% of Maryland’s workforce,” said ABIC CEO Rebecca Shi.

Rep. Zach Nunn Met with Iowa Employers on ABIC Action’s National Dignity Tour


Last week, Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA-3) met with Iowa employers at Mill Pond Retirement Community in Ankeny for our latest stop on the National Dignity Tour. Watch highlights of his remarks.

Partnering with our venue host Leading Age Iowa, the roundtable focused on how the bipartisan Dignity Act provides permanent workforce solutions to help senior care, agriculture, and hospitality businesses find the highly skilled workforce they need. Momentum for the Dignity Act continues to build across the country, with the National Restaurant Association officially endorsing the bill the very same day.

Board Chairman Bob Worsley Speaks at Practical Immigration Strategies for an America-First Economy Event

Bob Worsley, ABIC Board Chairman and former Arizona Republican State Senator, spoke at an event in Salt Lake City on State Lead Frameworks Thursday and said Utah has an opportunity to lead on immigration with state-based visas, while also calling for action on immigration by Congress.

“Border security, long debated, is now done. But that success has revealed the next challenge hiding in plain sight– there are 12 million undocumented people here working. Most are not criminals, they are raising families, paying taxes and attending church…we can’t deport our way out of that reality, ”Worsley said.


WSJ: Aggressive Immigration Enforcement Led to Job Losses, Researchers Find
New research from the Brookings Institution, that included interviews of ABIC members, found that U.S. cities hit with aggressive immigration enforcement early in President Trump’s second term saw a significant drop in employment compared to other cities:

  • Cities experiencing major ICE enforcement surges lost roughly 668,000 jobs for the first eight months of 2025. 
  • Employment fell nearly 1.5% within the first six months of a surge and kept getting worse the longer it went on.
  • In cities where ICE ramped up their enforcement, every additional arrest they made was associated with roughly 13 jobs lost in the local economy.
  • Job losses spread far beyond immigrant workers, and hit restaurants, retail, construction, and small businesses especially hard. 


News Briefing

Watch: DACA Renewal Delays Leaving LAPD Officers To Turn In Badges And Guns
Two LAPD officers who are DACA recipients were placed on unpaid leave after federal processing delays caused their work authorization to lapse. The officers filed their DACA renewal applications months in advance, but a growing federal backlog has left their cases pending.



Related coverage: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin Questioned on DACA

Mullin testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security during a hearing on the budget request for DHS, and was asked for help by U.S. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) on speeding up DACA renewals, in particular for vital members of the community like law enforcement officers. 

“The fastest way to actually fix this DACA issue is for Congress to actually pass legislation,” Mullin responded.


AP: Senate Oks $70B Immigration Bill After Rejecting Efforts to Permanently Ban Trump’s Settlement Fund

The Senate passed legislation to fund President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda early Friday, after fierce debate over an unrelated $1.8 billion federal payout fund for his political allies that threatened to derail the bill.

Senate Republicans passed the $70 billion legislation to fund ICE for the next three years, through the end of Trump’s term, after Democrats blocked the money for months. The bill will now head to the House, which is expected to take it up next week.

Forbes: Immigrants Are Founders of Most U.S. Billion-Dollar Companies
New research from the National Foundation for American Policy concludes that immigrants have founded or co-founded 59% of America’s privately held startups valued at $1 billion or more. Roughly two-thirds of these “unicorns” were founded or co-founded by immigrants or their children, and nearly 80% have an immigrant as a founder or in a key leadership role. Drawing on data from more than 700 such companies as of April 2026, the study found that billion-dollar startups with immigrant founders have created an average of 833 jobs each.

Politico: Trump Administration Weighs Dairy-Friendly Visa Reform
The Trump administration is considering changes to the H-2A visa program that would temporarily allow agricultural workers to remain in the United States for longer periods, according to reports from people familiar with the discussions. The proposal is aimed at helping farmers address ongoing labor shortages, particularly in the dairy industry, which relies on year-round workers but currently has limited access to seasonal visa programs.

Agricultural employers have increasingly called for reforms to the H-2A program as labor challenges have intensified amid immigration enforcement actions and workforce shortages.

ABC News: DHS Says Most Immigrants Won’t Need To Leave U.S. To Obtain Green Card

The Department of Homeland Security is downplaying a May policy directive, issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, requiring most temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees in the U.S. to return to their home countries to complete their green card applications. Advocates warned it could affect hundreds of thousands of people with temporary work visas seeking permanent residency from within the U.S.

In a Friday statement, DHS said the policy would only push some applicants who ‘don’t merit the discretionary benefit’ to apply through the State Department overseas rather than USCIS domestically, and wouldn’t stop anyone who legitimately qualifies from getting a green card.

Existing green card holders will not be impacted and can continue to reside in the U.S. and travel freely, the agency said.

Axios: Rock-Bottom Immigration Rates Leave Mark On U.S. Economy
President Trump’s immigration crackdown is driving one of the sharpest slowdowns in U.S. population growth in decades, and economists warn the effects could be long-lasting. The immediate impact shows up in weaker monthly job growth, but over time fewer immigrants could weigh on productivity well into the second half of the century.

A new paper by Fed economists found states with slower population growth saw more sluggish employment and more frequent job losses.

Research from the Yale Budget Lab suggests the productivity costs could outlast any single administration: even a temporary slowdown could leave the U.S. with up to 4.6 million fewer working-age people by 2033, with productivity 0.25% to 0.44% lower by 2052. 

NYTimes: Trump Squeezes Immigrants by Cutting Them Off From Jobs, Health Care and Housing

A New York Times investigation reports that the Trump administration is pursuing a broad strategy to encourage immigrants to leave the U.S. by restricting access to jobs, health care, housing, financial services, and tax benefits. The effort affects both undocumented immigrants and many with legal status, including Temporary Protected Status holders, asylum seekers, and some green card applicants.

Officials argue the measures reduce incentives for unauthorized immigration, while critics say they create labor shortages, harm families, and discourage people from accessing essential services. According to the report, more than 116,000 people without permanent legal status have voluntarily left the country since the policies took effect.

WSJ: Beth Ford Wants You to Know That American Farmers Are in Crisis

America’s farmers are under real strain, with the labor crisis at the center, says Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford. Since roughly two-thirds of U.S. agricultural workers are noncitizen immigrants, farms are deeply vulnerable when that workforce is disrupted. Ford has been advocating in Washington for reform on both sides of the aisle:

“[I]mmigrants are essential for the growth of the American economy…there’s a universal understanding [among lawmakers] that most of the time American citizens don’t want or don’t apply for these jobs.”

-Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford

In California’s Central Valley, produce rots unpicked for lack of workers. When ICE raids hit, the damage is immediate, a dairy farmer left without staff can’t milk the cows, and a multi-generation business can collapse.

Get Involved

  1. Join one of ABIC’s Councils of 100 and let your voICE be heard with your peers – sign up here. The Council of 100 is a coalition of top business leaders working to advance common-sense workforce solutions.
  2. Share your story: If your business is interested in engaging with the press as part of ABIC or amplifying your story on social media, take this quick survey to let us know your preferences. 
  3. Work with us: ABIC is hiring! We are looking for a California State Director, Public Relations Manager, and Digital Manager to join our growing team. Learn more.

Always available: ABIC Employer Resources Folder

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