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Business Speaks Out in 'Day of Action' on Immigration Reform

Jul 10, 2014

Business Roundtable on Wednesday joined other major trade associations -- including more than 60 groups across the country -- to call on Congress to fix the broken U.S. immigration system this year. The events (tweeted at #actonimmigration) featured release of a new national survey that documented widespread public support for immigration reform. News coverage and commentary follows ...

Joint news release, "More Than Two Dozen New State Polls and New National Poll Show Broad and Crosscutting Support for Congress to Pass Immigration Reform This Year":

Today, three business advocacy organizations, the Partnership for a New American Economy, the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers, released new opinion survey findings showing strong support among voters in 26 states and nationally for immigration reform. ...

Voters overwhelmingly responded that America’s immigration system needs to be fixed and that Congress needs to act on the issue this year. The proportion of voters who believe the U.S. immigration system is in need of fixing was at least 84% in every region of the country surveyed.
 

Jennifer Rubin, Right Turn Blog, WashingtonPost.com, "Immigration polling tells Congress to act":

The Partnership for a New American Economy, the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers are releasing a new poll today on immigration reform. A national poll of 1000 likely voters plus polls in 26 states of 500-855 likely voters conducted by a GOP firm, Harper Polling, found high support even among Republicans for immigration reform. The findings, provided to Right Turn, suggest the anti-immigration forces are loud but in the distinct minority. ...

Ironically the border crisis, which anti-immigrant forces trumpet as evidence of the dangers of legalization, has if anything highlighted the urgency for fixing the immigration system. Congress is bristling at the president’s request for $3.7 billion, arguing that it is not clear how the funds will be used and whether funds will go to close the border or just provide services to the immigrants being held. In addition, the White House has resisted changes to existing law that would speed deportation of the unaccompanied minors. Rather than grouse about the request, Congress should pass its own bill, include the provisions identified above, specifically bar any unilateral relaxation in enforcement policy and in essence dare the Senate and president to say no. This is a golden opportunity for the House to use its leverage both to secure border protection and to get on the right side of this issue.

Triangle Business Journal (N.C.), "Goodnight, Urquhart call for immigration reform":

Immigration reform can't wait, says Jim Goodnight, CEO of Cary-based analytics giant SAS. ...

Goodnight, along with Richard Urquhart, COO of Investors Management Company; Peter Daniels, Vice President of North Carolina Farm Bureau; and others, weren't shy about expressing their opinions Wednesday on the immigration stalemate in Washington, D.C.

Goodnight pointed to a study he's mentioned before, that shows the United States needs 1 million new qualified STEM workers to fill the jobs becoming open in the next several years. He says he started seeing talent deficits in the 90s.

"Today those deficits are growing," he says. "Here in N.C., 20 percent of the fastest growing occupations over the next 10 years will require an education in STEM."

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