United States Hispanic Business Council

08/19/2026

The average unionized American beer industry worker earns $77,000 a year. The same job in Mexico pays $3,700. If your business competes with imports, you already know what a gap like that does to your pricing and your margins.

Speaking at the Mexican American Legislative Caucus last week, USHBC President and CEO Javier Palomarez laid out the distinction that gets lost in many trade debates. Implement policies to fight back against American workers competing against subsidized inputs and lopsided labor costs to protect American jobs. Pump the brakes on blanket tariffs that raise prices for the businesses and consumers who can least absorb them.

Panel: "Texas, Mexico and the Future of North America" moderated by Rep. Armando Martinez, with Carlos Garcia of Valero Energy and Joaquin Spamer of Rioplex.

Mexican American Legislative Caucus United States Hispanic Business Council Javier Palomarez Representative Ramon Romero, Jr. Armando "Mando" Martinez

08/17/2026

For decades, Massey Villarreal has worked to strengthen America’s business community by building organizations, advising elected leaders, and creating opportunities for economic growth. His leadership has shaped chambers of commerce, state economic development efforts, and business organizations across Texas and the country.

Today, we’re proud to welcome Massey to the United States Hispanic Business Council Advisory Board.

As President and CEO of Precision Task Group (PTG), and the only person to have chaired a local, state, and national Hispanic chamber of commerce, Massey brings a depth of experience that will help inform our work as we advocate for America’s small business community.

Please join us in welcoming Massey Villarreal to the USHBC Advisory Board.

08/14/2026

Spending the day trying to keep pace with our Chairman, Don Salazar. He plays golf the same way he runs a boardroom: sharp and no wasted moves.

We're here for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus's annual golf outing, supporting the incredible work of MALC Chairman Ramon Romero and the nation's largest and oldest Hispanic Caucus.

Grateful to be part of this.

- Sabrina

Mexican American Legislative Caucus United States Hispanic Business Council Javier Palomarez Sabrina Leeloo Gonzalez

08/14/2026

Today California small businesses got good news.

The California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved Charter's $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications, clearing the way for the merger to finalize after months of federal and state review.

The approval comes with real conditions: new affordable broadband offerings for low income households, $275 million toward network infrastructure modernization, $5 million for Community Development Financial Institutions serving underserved businesses, and workforce development and supplier diversity commitments, all backed by enforcement measures.

USHBC spent months advocating for this approval, in public comment and before the Commission itself. As President & CEO Javier Palomarez said: "This merger will deliver real benefits essential to the California Main Street economy and communities across the state, while also investing in the underserved communities too often left behind in the digital economy."

The United States Hispanic Business Council commends CPUC for unanimously approving the Charter-Cox Merger.

Cox Spectrum California Public Utilities Commission Governor Gavin Newsom Javier Palomarez

08/10/2026

Our hearts are with the people of Colombia. 🇨🇴

A devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia today, claiming at least 111 lives, injuring dozens, and damaging roughly 1,600 buildings across cities including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, and Manizales the country's strongest recorded quake of the 21st century.

As rescue teams and volunteers search through the rubble, the USHBC stands in solidarity with the Colombian people and with the entrepreneurs, workers, and businesses whose livelihoods have been shaken. The Hispanic business community is resilient, and in moments like these we come together to support one another.

To everyone with loved ones in the region you are in our thoughts.

08/05/2026

When fear and uncertainty walk through the front door, knowledge becomes one of the most important tools a business owner can have.

The newly introduced Businessowner Immigration Rights and Responsibilities Information Act (BIRRIA) of 2026 would require the SBA to provide clear, multilingual Know Your Rights resources to help small business owners and employees understand their legal rights and responsibilities before, during, and after immigration enforcement actions.

The United States Hispanic Business Council proudly supports this legislation because entrepreneurs should never be forced to make critical decisions without reliable guidance.

USHBC President and CEO Javier Palomarez:
“Entrepreneurs should not be left scrambling for reliable information amid confusing, disruptive immigration raids.”

We applaud Representatives Nydia Velázquez, Gil Cisneros, and Analilia Mejia for introducing legislation that helps close an information gap affecting businesses across the country.

Business owners deserve to understand their rights before they face an enforcement action, not while one is unfolding.

The USHBC will continue advocating for policies that give entrepreneurs the information they need to protect their businesses and operate with confidence.

Follow the United States Hispanic Business Council for updates as this moves through Congress and for timely information on the policies that matter most to America’s small business community.

08/04/2026

Every week, small business owners are forced to make difficult decisions because they cannot hire enough people to meet demand. Jobs stay open, expansion gets pushed and the local economy loses the growth that would have come with it.

Senators John Curtis and Mark Kelly have introduced the State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act, bipartisan legislation that would let participating states build visa programs around the workforce gaps they actually have.

Under the bill, a state could sponsor workers for terms of up to three years, with renewals available, and those workers could move between employers inside that state's labor market. Oversight and enforcement are written in.

Javier Palomarez, USHBC President and CEO:

"Small businesses understand firsthand both the economic contributions of immigrant workers and the need for a lawful, secure, and accountable process. I commend Senators John Curtis and Mark Kelly for working across the aisle and offering a pragmatic, innovative, flexible, and pro-business solution to address critical labor shortages, strengthen local economies, and keep American businesses competitive."

The USHBC has endorsed the bill and stands ready to engage with Congress to advance this legislation. If workforce shortages are what is capping your growth, this is the bill to watch this session.

08/03/2026

Your business might not have a single customer in Europe. European regulations can still affect your operations.

Current EU rules increasingly target a handful of US tech companies and, with them, the platforms American businesses rely on. Features are being forced out of products that businesses use to reach customers. U.S. officials and affected companies have warned that some required changes could weaken protections around accounts, payments, and customer data. Compliance costs are also piling up and could move down the line to Main Street.

A restaurant fills its tables through search results. A contractor books jobs through ads. A shop reaches customers three states away through a marketplace. These are among the businesses that could experience the downstream effects of changes to the platforms they rely on.

On July 24, the Trump Administration called for a formal trade investigation into these practices. USHBC sent a letter to the White House and to Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative, supporting that move and urging them to begin the investigation without delay.

Most changes affecting a small business’s costs are decided months before they appear on an invoice. We track them so you do not have to. Follow the USHBC to hear about them while there is still time to speak up.

07/28/2026

USHBC member and contractor in McAllen told Newsweek his crews are showing up short because workers are afraid to come in. Projects that used to close out in six months are now running close to twice that.

That is not one bad quarter at one company. In our survey of 1,012 Texas Hispanic business owners fielded June 2 through 15, one in five reported losing an employee to deportation in the past year. Seventy percent said immigration raids affecting the workforce hurt their business.

Enforcement policy shows up on a job site as an unfilled crew, a missed delivery date, and a client asking why the timeline moved. Those costs land before they ever show up in an economic report.

Jordan King from Newsweek cited our survey in her analysis of South Texas.
Read it here:

South Texas counties that fueled Trump's Hispanic gains could now decide whether Democrats flip a Texas Senate seat.

07/27/2026

Japan has spent decades wrestling with a problem America is beginning to feel more acutely every year. Its population is aging, its labor force is shrinking, and years of labor shortages eventually pushed the country to open more pathways for foreign workers.

Japan's national public broadcaster sent a crew to Texas to interview USHBC President and CEO Javier Palomarez about immigration and the American workforce.

In his recent article, Javier reflects on the interview and what it says about where the United States is headed. His take: secure borders and an immigration system built around real labor demand are not opposing goals.

Read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/javier-palomarez-usa_a-conversation-that-started-in-texas-is-now-activity-7487476923376316416-V4le

NHK Javier Palomarez United States Hispanic Business Council