US immigration law is an area that is constantly evolving, as employer needs and worker demand fluctuates. One result of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022 has been the creation of jobs across the country, many involving repairing and creating vital infrastructure.

As reported by the Arizona Mirror, with billions of dollars of IRA projects in the pipeline, an urgent need for workers has emerged that cannot easily be filled through domestic labor pools. In response, 120 corporate leaders have formed the American Business Immigration Coalition Action, which is lobbying to expand immigrant work permits.

Speaking for the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, the CEO of Civil Werx, a general engineering contractor, described a situation wherein homebuilders from the older generation are aging out of the workforce all at once. At the same time, too few people from the younger generation have interest in the homebuilding trade to achieve significant job replacement. The executive describes this situation as an “economic emergency” that requires the skilled work input of an immigrant population that is trained and ready to work. He also noted that the cost associated with this labor shortage involves more training and higher wages, which consumers ultimately must bear when they purchase properties.