President Joe Biden arrived in Denver in late November as part of his “Investing in America” tour and upon landing he was met by Gov. Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. The president came to Colorado with hopes to promote his Inflation Reduction Act, of which a key part is job growth.

This happened to be an opportune time for Johnston, who partnered with four major U.S. cities and met with the White House in early November, to discuss the influx of Venezuelan migrants in Denver and how to address the growing migrant population across the U.S. Was this Johnston’s chance to have the president’s ear? And why should we care?

In the past year, nearly 30,000 Venezuelan migrants arrived in Denver alone. A group of Venezuelans in Carbondale swelled to 120 by December.

Biden’s visit in Denver came when the city already received a foot of snow and migrants struggled to find shelter. While the president is hoping to celebrate the job growth his act created, there are thousands of Venezuelan migrants who are paralyzed by a system restricting them from legally working in the U.S. As a result, many migrants are experiencing homelessness in our country, a place where they hoped they would find a better life.

The mayors from Denver, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York created a coalition led by Johnston to push for an improved immigration system, which expedites work authorizations for migrants. These cities have received thousands of migrants bused from Texas and also have some of the largest unhoused populations in the country. As more migrants arrive, there is more pressure on cities, whose systems are already stressed by these large homeless populations.

It is time for the federal government to take heed from these cities by providing expedited work authorizations. Legislation that welcomes the thousands of migrants finding new homes in the U.S. and that removes the fabricated purgatory for migrants stuck in our immigration system will protect the lives of migrants and boost the economy. Additionally, work authorizations increase self-sufficiency and employment that eases the burden on public assistance programs, while also upholding migrants’ right to livelihood.

Bipartisan Congress members have pushed forward bills to shorten the work authorization process for migrants from 180 days to 30 days. They framed their bills as solutions to the depleted workforce. A possibility is migrants who contribute valuable skills to our workforce, however, work authorizations often get in the way.

To obtain a work permit, migrants must submit a Form I-765. The application fee is $410 and can additionally require a $85 biometrics fee. The time it takes for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to process the Form I-765 is two to seven months, and system backlogs and barriers make it longer. If migrants can afford the initial fees to apply, they are then stuck waiting for months.

It is also in the interest of public health to provide migrants with the right to work. Upon arriving in a new country, many migrants are dealing with discrimination and xenophobia, leading to high rates of depression and anxiety. To manage their depression and anxiety, many migrants are using maladaptive coping strategies that include substance use and alcohol consumption. The constant fear of deportation, legal status, and lack of work can exacerbate stress and poor coping strategies.

Migrants are being forced into overcrowded shelters, or must find unconventional shelter in potentially dangerous conditions, which is one of the primary health risks for injury and illness among the U.S. homeless population. The willful neglect of the migrant population in our country is a public health concern and leaders must address this now or the problem will only get bigger.

We are in a period of rebuilding as we come out of the pandemic. Why not take this opportunity to rebuild for sustainable solutions and omit inefficient systems harming the health of thousands?

Johnston said Venezuelans are “asking us for the chance to work, so we’re trying to give them what they explicitly asked for.” Leaders must not forget those who fall through the cracks of the U.S. political system. One way to do this is for lawmakers to pass policies that expedite work authorizations for migrants already in our country, who are asking to work but cannot because of restrictive policies.

Meagan Bean recently graduated with her master’s in public health from the Colorado School of Public Health. She grew up in a border city in Texas.

Penelope Velasco is a student at the Colorado School of Public Health with a concentration in nutrition.

Both contribute Opinion columns to The Colorado Sun, a nonpartisan news organization based in Denver.