Dear All:
As Labor Day approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on workers’ contributions and the uncomfortable relationship labor markets have had, and continue to have, with immigration.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, populists and unions understood the laws of supply and demand and united to pass the Johnson Reed Act and National Origins Act to restrict immigration and stem the flow of cheap labor.
Labor force participation rates declined in the mid-1960s after the Immigration Reform Act. The 1965 act eased immigration policy. Suddenly, Americans, were overlooked in favor of new arrivals; in particular those with a high school degree or less,
Then with the advent of the H-1B visa program, which brings in white collar workers to ostensibly fill science, technology, engineering and math jobs; professionals with college degrees were muscled out by immigrants eager to work for less pay.
Today, workers’ prospects are dismal. On Wednesday, ZeroHedge reported the shine had worn off the often “manipulated, seasonally adjusted, and politically goalseeked” job openings data. July’s numbers were the worst since March 2021 and the current labor force participation rate is below pre-COVID levels. While the administration touts 3.3 million new jobs, all of the new jobs have gone to foreigners.
Times are bleak, but we fight on. Our discrimination complaint against the companies on the Chicago H-1B Connect job board and our efforts to highlight the stories where immigration and labor intersect, exemplify our commitment.
In closing, please join me in welcoming Theo Wold and Mark Pettitt to our Board of Directors. We know they’ll be instrumental in helping us expand our impact and reach!
In Solidarity and Happy Labor Day,
Kevin Lynn
Executive Director
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A Labor Day tradition has been sharing this wonderful scene from the “mockumentary” The American Ruling Class featuring the late Barbara Eherenreich and Louis Lapham, the editor and chief the literary magazine, Lapham’s Quarterly. Ehernreich answers the question – Can you get by on a low wage service sector job in America.
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Based largely on a technicality, the Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Section filed a lawsuit against Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) for discriminating against asylees and refugees in hiring. In a guest column, Hart Celler does a deep dive on the lawsuit to determine if the case has merit or if it is just the Biden administration weaponizing its agencies to go after someone they hate.
~ Interestingly, the DOJ’s IER section is the same department that is investigating our complaint against the 45 companies tied to the job board – Chicago H-1B Connect. Illinois colleges accused of ‘conspiracy’ to favor foreign workers |
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Singer song writer Anthony Oliver rose to prominence with song Richmond North of Richmond which in the most unvarnished and stripped-down way, gave voice to the plight of wage-earning men and women today. If you were wondering why Americans like Oliver Anthony are angry, consider that the current self-inflicted border crisis has cost the taxpayer roughly $20 billion so far. To put that in perspective, all the monies spent to assist the Appalachian region over the past 56 years comes to $14.5 billion. 
Feds Spend 5x More on Illegal Immigrants than on Appalachian Citizens
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NEW BOARD MEMBERSMark Pettitt
brings to the IfSPP Board of Directors over three decades experience in politics and government contract management. Prior to joining the Board, he was Chief of Staff for Republican Congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama where he advised on policy, managed staff operations, and led five successful re-election campaigns.
Theo Wold is currently the solicitor general in the Idaho Office of Attorney General. Prior to joining the IfSPP Board of Directors he served as a communications consultant and deputy chief counsel to Utah Senator Mike Lee and was a deputy assistant and special assistant in The Executive Office of the President, The White House under the Trump administration. |
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
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Republicans Set Deadline to Halt Foreign Worker Expansion Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee have included provisions in a year-end DHS funding bill that will hugely expand the number of foreign workers in the United States labor market just as annual data shows millions of Americans are struggling to reenter and stay in the workforce. Read More |
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Chicago is finally considering breaking its 'sanctuary' promise. The mix of crime and being overwhelmed by illegal immigrant arrivals is finally bringing some Democrats back to sanity in Chicago, whether they realize that their policies have failed or not. Read More |
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Top CEOs call on Biden administration to address migrant influx in New York Dozens of the nation's most prominent business leaders called for federal aid and speedy processing of work permits to address an influx of asylum seekers in New York City. Read More |
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