As the real-world impact of federal immigration policy is being felt in aging services and other sectors nationwide following the June 25, 2026 Supreme Court decision ending temporary protected status (TPS) for Haiti, fresh interest in reform proposals is emerging, both on the Hill and in state capitols nationwide. For LeadingAge, a longtime proponent of expanding the immigration pipeline and, over the past year, an ardent advocate for preserving and protecting America’s longstanding programs that enable immigrants to work legally in the U.S., these activities signal a potential shift toward positive change and new opportunities for advocacy engagement.

Earlier this month, four governors—two Republicans and two Democrats—at the National Governors Association’s (NGA) summer meeting in Oklahoma City announced a bipartisan task force that will develop immigration reform proposals from the states’ perspective and present them to Congress. Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt and Maryland’s Wes Moore launched it; Utah’s Spencer Cox and Delaware’s Matt Meyer will co-chair.

A few days prior to the NGA’s August 1 gathering, Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act (S. 5197), which would let any state whose legislature approves participation sponsor workers directly for visas and work permits, under federal vetting and oversight. It sets no degree requirement, meaning roles across the aging services spectrum would qualify, and it requires states to build mechanisms for foreign credentials to transfer into licenses—a meaningful opportunity for a sector that recruits internationally trained nurses and aides.

While large sectors including agriculture, hospitality, and construction, due to their size and longtime advocacy presence, tend to dominate state and federal policymakers’ discussions, through sustained effort, recognition of LeadingAge and others in the aging services sector is growing.

Our ongoing coalition work with groups including the  American Business Immigration Council gets us a seat at the table with these sectors—such as during our October 2025 fly-in to Washington D.C., when LeadingAge national staff along with sixteen advocates from members and state partners, joined farmers, construction workers, representatives from hospitality businesses and manufacturers—and builds support and recognition across industries.

We’ve logged some significant gains over the past 12 months that are the result of advocacy work dating back to 2018, as our Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy Linda Couch shared in April, 2026. And redoubled efforts by our members, LeadingAge national and state partners since the June 25, 2026 Supreme Court decision ending Haiti temporary protected status that illustrate the resulting harms, including access-to-care disruptions, have garnered significant media coverage (PBS News Hour, the New York Times, CNN, NPR) and further engagement with congressional offices and other stakeholders.

Yet there’s still more work to be done to move aging services at the forefront—and remain there.

Providing states input and control over employment visas is the latest conversation in which LeadingAge is active, and we urge members to engage alongside our continued work on concepts like the American Dream and Promise Act’s push for a House floor vote, Representative Lloyd Smucker’s (R-PA) Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act, and the Dignity Act’s broader reform efforts, among others discussed in our running Pathways for Foreign-Born Workers series. The NGA task force and S. 5197 bill give us a new, unique, opportunity to mobilize engagement at the state and federal levels at the same time.

What members can do

1. Tell your governor’s office directly. Both co-chairs represent states with LeadingAge members, and every governor is now a potential participant. A short, specific note from an in-state provider carries weight a national letter can’t. Name your vacancy count, the cost of covering shifts with agency staff, and the clients you’ve had to turn away.
2. Ask your Senators to support S. 5197. The bill has two Senate sponsors and no House companion; co-sponsorship moves when constituents ask. Our Immigration Advancement Project advocacy resources and the Advocacy Action Center can help frame the conversation.
3. Send us what you send them. LeadingAge National is assembling accounts for Hill briefings and state coalition work. Your local story becomes national evidence when it joins hundreds of others.

Keep us in the loop

Aging services should be at the forefront of every workforce conversation. Getting there means doing more of what has already worked: sustained advocacy and storytelling. Share your workforce story—vacancy rates, credentialing delays, the real cost of agency staffing—with Associate Director for Immigration Advancement Shane Myers at SMyers@leadingage.org. If you’ve already reached out to your governor or congressional delegation, tell us what you sent. We’re glad to help you frame the message.