Skip to main content
Know This Now

Know This Now, May 15, 2026: ABIC Action Leads Senate Judiciary Forum: “Dreamers Have Spent Their Lives Building America’s Future, It’s Time for a Lasting Solution”

By May 15, 2026June 8th, 2026No Comments

Alongside Senators Durbin, Booker, Cortez Masto, Gallego and Padilla, ABIC Action urges Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act for those who have called America home for decades.

During a Senate Judiciary forum this week, Rebecca Shi, CEO of ABIC Action, testified that providing permanent legal status for Dreamers is essential to lowering costs and securing the workforce that American businesses depend on. 

Speaking before Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Shi stated that securing their status is a vital step toward growing the U.S. workforce, protecting American jobs, and curbing inflation. 

Sign Our Letter to Support the Dream Act

“DACA recipients are in the prime of their professional lives. They work, pay taxes, and help drive critical industries facing labor shortages, from nursing to teaching,” said Shi. “For our employers, the uncertainty surrounding DACA has become an operational nightmare. When we lose these workers, we don’t just lose labor; we lose institutional knowledge and specialized skill sets that are impossible to replace overnight.”

The data presented by ABIC Action to the Committee underscores the massive economic risk of failing to provide a lasting legislative solution:

Source: (TheDream.US, National Bureau of Economic Research, Coalition for the American Dream, FWD.us)

Peter Guzman, President of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Nevada and ABIC Member, reacted to the testimony, noting that Nevada’s 31,000 Dreamers contribute $810 million annually to the state’s economy. “They are tax-paying, law-abiding adults who have spent their lives building Nevada’s future,” Guzman said. “The fact that we still don’t have a permanent solution is simply unacceptable.”

Chef Byron Gomez, Partner at BRUTØ (Denver, CO) and ABIC Member, added that Dreamers are the infrastructure keeping the service industry standing. Gomez warned that without them, “prices skyrocket,” urging Congress to “turn down the noise of fear” and pass the Dream Act to secure the future of America’s kitchens and farms.

More from the ABIC Network

CNN: Downingtown, PA, Rallies for Homecoming of Carlos Della Valle After 258 Days in ICE Detention

The streets of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, were lined with neighbors and supporters this week as Carlos Della Valle finally returned home. After 258 days in ICE detention, including time at the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in the Florida Everglades, Carlos was reunited with his wife, Angela, and their son, Alessandro.

The breakthrough for the Della Valle family occurred after Angela joined an ABIC Action and American Families United (AFU) workforce roundtable to meet with Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) and highlight the impact of family separation on Pennsylvania communities.

GRAPHIC WITH play button from this clip

Della Valle, a U.S. resident since 1997, was detained last year while on vacation. He remained in custody for nearly nine months, even after a jury found him not guilty of illegal re-entry charges in August.

“I was worried about my body, not my mind… I believe I got all the strength from the people outside fighting for me,” Carlos told CNN. “Just because I wasn’t born in this country doesn’t mean that I don’t love this country.” While Carlos is home, he remains one of 1.4 million spouses of U.S. citizens currently caught in a system with no clear pathway to legal status.

Problem Solvers Caucus Endorsement Propels Dignity Act Forward

The Problem Solvers Caucus officially endorsed the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), providing a significant boost to the legislation as it moves toward the summer session. Led by Reps. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI), the 64-member caucus signaled that the bill has the traction required to deliver a straightforward immigration solution for the economy and the American workforce.

The endorsement comes as the bill surpasses support from over 95 national organizations. For business leaders, the momentum is driven by the bill’s promise to deliver straightforward solutions like work permits for long-term, law-abiding immigrant workers. 

Related News: 

NCR: Catholics in Congress Form Majority Support for Dignity Act

More than half of the Dignity Act’s bipartisan co-sponsors identify as Catholic, signaling a unified moral and political consensus within the House of Representatives. ABIC Action CEO Rebecca Shi was quoted, arguing the bill is necessary to ensure long-term law-abiding immigrant workers can have a legal path forward, and that all employers follow the same rules, preventing bad-faith actors from undercutting wages through an unregulated “shadow workforce.”  

Co-author Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) emphasizes that the legislation is both a humanitarian and economic necessity, calling on the influence of faith-based advocacy to achieve the bill’s ambitious goals:

“I would encourage Catholics across the country for whom this is a priority, who believe that we should create opportunities for immigrants and that we should provide legal protections. I need their help… This is one of the few opportunities we have in the near future to get a bill across the finish line.”

Texas Restaurants Face Growing Financial Strain Amid Labor Shortages

The Texas Restaurant Association, a lead partner in the “Seat the Table” campaign, released its 2026 first-quarter report revealing the mounting pressure on the state’s hospitality industry. As food and fuel costs climb, restaurant operators are struggling to stay afloat while facing a shrinking pool of available workers.

“Immigration is difficult and has had an impact on the restaurant industry [and] the farming industry, which again, then raises prices along the way,” says TRA Chief Marketing Officer Tony Abroscato. He notes that while food costs have surged 35% since the pandemic, a lack of available labor is creating a secondary crisis that makes those costs even harder to manage:

The report highlights a perfect storm for small businesses:

News Briefing


CNBC: Wholesale Prices Surge as Cost of Business Hits Highest Level In Years

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported this week that “wholesale inflation,” the cost businesses pay for goods and services, jumped 6% in April 2026, marking the largest annual increase since 2022 and significantly outpacing  expert expectations.

The data shows these price hikes are hitting every sector, with the services category, covering everything from logistics to machinery, seeing record-setting monthly gains. As these costs intensify, businesses are facing a double bind: record-high expenses for supplies and operations alongside a persistent worker shortage.

“Inflation is sticky and accelerating. The core reading confirms a deeper structural trend, especially in services,” said David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation, adding, “the Hormuz crisis is aggravating the problem, but this goes way beyond oil.”

CBS News: Administration to Name David Venturella as Interim ICE Chief

The administration plans to appoint longtime immigration official David Venturella as the interim head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), replacing outgoing acting director Todd Lyons at the end of the month. Venturella, a veteran of ICE under multiple administrations, rejoined the agency last year and is considered a close ally of White House border czar Tom Homan.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2005, Venturella noted he is the son of an immigrant and said he understood “why so many people have risked their lives, leaving their families, homes, and everything they know to come to the United States.” However, he emphasized that the U.S. is also known as “a nation where law and justice prevail.”

Politico: Administration’s Immigration Policies Chill Japanese Shipyard Investment

A federal push to revitalize America’s shipbuilding industry is running into a major hurdle due to aggressive anti-immigration enforcement and restrictive visa policies. While the Commerce Department is leaning on Tokyo to invest a portion of a promised $550 billion into U.S. shipyards, Japanese executives warn that funding is likely years away because of current U.S. hostility toward skilled foreign labor. A September ICE raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia resulted in the detention and deportation of 300 skilled South Korean workers, and analysts warn that U.S. shipbuilding requires similar foreign expertise to train and upskill the domestic workforce. 

The shipbuilding sector is already wrestling with an internal crisis as 25% of its current workforce will reach retirement age by 2031, yet naval requirements alone will demand an additional 250,000 skilled workers in the coming years.

CBS News: DHS Secretary Mullin: World Cup Presence Not Focused on “Mass Roundups”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin clarified that while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at this summer’s FIFA World Cup are not off the table, the agency will not be at the global event to “round up” non-citizens.

Pressed on whether the mission at the World Cup is not immigration enforcement, Mullin left room for the possibility of ICE arrests during the event. “Well, ICE always says immigration enforcement. We’re always going to do that. But we’re not there for solely that purpose. We’re in there to do our job,” he said. “We’re not there to go round up mass individuals, but we are always looking for the worst of the worst. We’re going to continue to do that.”

Midterm Watch

Texas Tribune: For Texas GOP, Immigration Politics Show Signs of Fading Potency

As Texas prepares for the 2026 midterm elections, the Republican Party’s most reliable campaign issue is losing its edge. For years, Texas voters ranked immigration and border security as their top concerns, but recent polling reveals a significant shift in priorities. 

In April 2024, 68% of Republican voters and 44% of Independents named immigration or border security the state’s most important problem. However, last month, those numbers plummeted to just 20% for Republicans and 8% for Independents, the lowest levels recorded by University of Texas pollsters in over a decade.

Inflation and the economy have collectively eclipsed immigration as the most urgent issue for Texans, marking a historic shift in the electorate’s focus heading into November. As polling shows critical voting blocs like Independents and Latinos souring on aggressive enforcement tactics, GOP candidates are facing the prospect of their most reliable issue yielding diminishing returns on the road to the midterms.

The same trend is emerging in Wisconsin. In The Hill, former GOP Congressman Reid Ribble warns that labor shortages and mass deportations are a “blinking red warning” for Republicans this November.

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

ABIC in the news. . . 

View all recent coverage here