The U.S. Chamber of Commerce called on Congress Tuesday to end the partial government shutdown and strike a deal to trade more border security for legalizing potentially millions of illegal immigrants.
Such a deal has previously been floated by a number of organizations with ties to the conservative Koch brothers, but the chamber’s advocacy adds a powerful new dimension to it.
Neil Bradley, the chamber’s executive vice president, wrote a letter saying the shutdown is beginning to hurt businesses who rely on government approvals or safety inspections, or on federal workers as customers.
He said all sides should work on a compromise that legalizes illegal immigrant “Dreamers” and grants a path to citizenship to would-be illegal immigrants who’ve stayed in the country on temporary humanitarian protections.
In exchange, he said, Congress should “improve border security” — though he didn’t specifically embrace President Trump’s call for a border wall, or any other measures the administration is seeking.
Sen. Lindsey Graham has been urging action on a Dreamers-for-wall compromise, as have organizations such as Freedom Partners and the LIBRE Initiative, which are tied to the Koch network of activist groups.
Mr. Trump has said he is awaiting final action in the courts before moving ahead with any solution to status for Dreamers.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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