Support Mass Regularization of Undocumented Workers Instead of Deportation

I urge you to support legislation that would regularize the status of undocumented migrants currently living and working in the United States, following the model Spain is implementing under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Spain is preparing to grant legal status to approximately 500,000 undocumented migrants who have clean criminal records and can prove they've lived in the country for at least five months. This represents a fiscally responsible alternative to mass deportation programs that could cost American taxpayers an estimated 70 billion dollars. Spain's approach is grounded in economic pragmatism. Migration Minister Elma Saiz announced that applications will open between April and June, bringing workers from the underground economy into the formal tax system. Official data from early 2025 showed that 52,500 of the 76,200 people who raised employment numbers in Spain's final quarter of 2025 were born overseas, helping the country achieve its lowest unemployment rate in 18 years. Migration Policy Institute Europe deputy director Jasmijn Slootjes explained that regularization enables better tax collection and allows workers to be matched to positions appropriate to their skill levels. Most undocumented migrants in Spain work in construction, agriculture, restaurants, and domestic services. The majority entered legally and overstayed their visas, finding work in the cash economy. This mirrors the reality in the United States, where mass detention and deportation would devastate industries that depend on this labor while costing taxpayers billions. Sanchez has stated that Spain must choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed-off and poor country. Spain faces the lowest fertility rate in Europe and significant labor shortages, challenges the United States also confronts. Even during years when Spanish unemployment exceeded 25 percent, public support for immigration remained stable, with only 28 percent of respondents favoring restricted immigration according to a May 2024 Funcas study. I ask you to champion legislation that creates a pathway to legal status for undocumented workers already contributing to our economy rather than supporting costly deportation programs that harm both migrants and American taxpayers.