Florida Leaders Make an Economic Case for Immigration Reform
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
By: Amy Green

July 9, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando - Florida leaders in business, agriculture and education are calling for immigration reform. They spoke out Wednesday on a conference call with reporters.

[Photo: Demonstrators call for immigration reform in a previous protest outside Rep. Dan Webster's Central Florida office. By Amy Green]

They say Congress has taken no action on immigration in nearly 30 years. They say the immigrants gathered at the Mexican border add urgency to the issue.

Steve Johnson of the Florida Farm Bureau says growers need a stable workforce.

"When it's time for us to pick we need to pick, and so it's important for us to have the labor here or to plan to have the labor here," Johnson says. 

The leaders say antiquated policies threaten key industries like tourism and housing.

The conference call was part of a nationwide push for immigration reform led by organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers.