Almost 500 local and state elected officials, both Republicans and Democrats, are urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s administration to admit some 2.5 million migrants to the United States through the federal government’s refugee resettlement program.
In a letter to the Biden administration, elected officials from every state say the United States needs more immigration to fill American jobs. The officials ask Biden to admit about 2.4 million refugees to the United States.
“As state and local elected leaders, we aspire to make our communities places where newcomers have an equal chance to contribute and thrive,” the elected officials write:
We have championed policies such as workforce development studies and reducing unnecessary occupational barriers so that skilled refugees can more easily join the workforce. As many communities struggle with labor shortages in key professions like teachers, nurses, and doctors, refugees have a critical role to play in filling staffing gaps. [Emphasis added]
The elected officials write that their states need more American taxpayer dollars from the federal government to help resettle millions more refugees in their communities.
“Our cities and states need greater coordination and support from the federal government so that newcomers have access to programs and services that help them succeed in their new homes,” the elected officials continue. “We are calling on your administration to double down on the investment of resources necessary to build a robust resettlement program that can withstand external pressures, refugee emergencies, and political transitions.” [Emphasis added]
The U.S., the elected officials write, is “better and stronger because of refugees and their families.”
“As state and local elected officials, we call on you to protect our nation’s standing as a leader in welcoming refugees by ensuring the refugee resettlement program is resourced, robust, and sustainable for years to come,” they write.
The letter comes as newly arrived migrants have made up the overwhelming majority of job growth since Biden and Harris took office, and native-born Americans continue to fall out of the workforce. Over the last year alone about 1.2 million migrants have secured jobs while 1.3 million fewer native-born Americans now hold jobs.
A Pew Research Center study found that as of 2022, over 30 million legal immigrants and illegal aliens were holding American jobs — a 20-percent increase over the last 15 years. During the same period, the number of native-born Americans who have been added to the workforce has increased by less than 10 percent.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at
