Qais Meraj and Aziza Meraj are entrepreneurs and real estate business owners in the St. Louis. MO area. As immigrants themselves, advocating for newcomers to the US is a passion of theirs. In the following article, the Merajs’ discuss how other business leaders can help immigrants in the United States.
The United States of America was founded by immigrants centuries ago. And now, immigration is fundamental to the nation's identity.
However, with the somewhat-lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the seemingly ever-changing country policies, the viability of many businesses that rely on immigrants is under threat explains Qais Meraj.
The failing safety nets provided by the nation and the stricter requirements for immigrants to gain access to essential services have threatened the safety of businesses and their employees throughout the country. But Qais Meraj says that leaders of both small and large companies can step up, analyze how their policies are setting them up for future downfalls, and better support immigrants.
There are plenty of ways in which business owners can do this in all sectors — real estate, retail, and beyond.
Immigration and a Healthy American Economy Go Hand-in-Hand
The pandemic saw many people begin to social distance, staying six feet away at all times and working from home to keep themselves (and others) safe. But that wasn't the same for millions of immigrants explains Aziza Meraj.
While many US natives hunkered down within the protective confines of their homes, immigrants — some of which had unofficial or pending residences — continued toiling as essential workers. They willingly put themselves on the front line, exposing themselves and their loved ones to the deadly virus to put food on their table and help businesses keep their doors open.
According to the
Immigrant Essential Workers and COVID-19 report published by the National Conference of State Legislatures, an estimated 69% of immigrants in the labor force are essential workers — and 74% of the unauthorized immigrant population are essential laborers too.
However, the pandemic unduly affected immigrants in America, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Spokespeople said this was due to the geographical, cultural, legal, and economic barriers to access healthcare, alongside the higher placement in essential, hard-to-social-distance job roles.
But Aziza Meraj says that the terrible statistics did nothing to help undocumented immigrants get the healthcare they required under the
Affordable Care Act.
The Impact of the Country's Recent Immigration Laws and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Despite the general perception, the coronavirus pandemic wasn't the match that lit the barrier-to-healthcare fire for immigrants. Complications for non-US natives and their health were present before the outbreak.
The Public Charge rule created worry and confusion that caused many in the immigrant population to deny themselves and their loved ones healthcare due to fear of deportation or denial of legal residency explains Aziza Meraj.
The pandemic just so happened to hit at this legally critical moment, crafting an unavoidable catastrophe. Although implemented with good intentions, the CARES Act didn't reach enough people, crippling America's ability to respond to workforce concerns.
And this is just one of the ways organizations and businesses failed immigrant communities during the pandemic and continue to fail them now.
But, as alluded to earlier, business leaders of small organizations and large corporations can implement procedures and strategies to provide better support to the immigrant populations that the country relies on.
How Business Leaders Can Help Immigrants in the US
The United States of America's recovery following the 2008 recession was heavily reliant on immigrant communities. Non-natives were vital in rebuilding job growth and hiking home prices once again, revitalizing the economy.
On top of that, Qais Meraj says that roughly one-quarter of inventors and entrepreneurs across the nation are foreign-born residents.
Naturally, the problems faced by immigrants run deeply within the country, meaning true reform must occur at the federal level. However, business owners and solo entrepreneurs can do their bit to help the non-US-native population.
It all starts by helping families find affordable health services and better understand their rights. They can do this in a number of ways, including pointing immigrants toward the Protecting Immigrant Families group, which provides a plethora of resources to help people from all walks of life establish their right to healthcare, shelter, and more.
At a local level, Qais Meraj explains that smaller businesses can focus their efforts on establishing connections with immigrant communities and recognizing the skills they can provide to the workforce. Keeping these employees in jobs during times of crisis and beyond is a relatively simple but necessary task to better support non-natives.
Immigrant Entrepreneurship Might Be the Answer America and Its Immigrants Are Searching For
Overall, experts suggest local businesses ally with like-minded migrant entrepreneurs to rebuild their immediate economies, while financial institutions should look to open more doorways for said entrepreneurs with alternatives to standard collateral and loan criteria.
The road may be long, but business owners can give immigrants the tools needed to access fundamental care and revitalize the economy in the United States.
