91̽»¨

Midwestern Farmers, Farmworkers, Dreamers, and 91̽»¨ Leaders to Congress: Pass Immigration Solutions That Expand Our Workforce NOW

The Crapo-Bennet Senate companion bill to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act; the Durbin-Graham DREAM Act; and the SECURE Act would keep farms open, provide Midwestern businesses the employees they need to thrive, and keep families together.

Media can register here:  

Grand Rapids, MI – On Wednesday, July 28, at 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST, farmers, farmworkers, Dreamers, and business owners from across the Midwest will join the 91̽»¨ (ABIC) for a virtual event called Expanding the Midwest’s Workforce Through Commonsense Immigration Reform. They will call attention to the devastating economic impact of the labor shortage facing Midwestern farmers and companies, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.Speakers will urge their Senators to pass the Durbin-Graham DREAM Act, the SECURE Act, and the Crapo-Bennet Senate companion bill to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Whether through a bipartisan deal or through reconciliation. Inaction is not an option in 2021.

What: Expanding the Midwest’s Workforce Through Commonsense Immigration Reform

When: Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 10:00 a.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. EST

Registration:  

Speakers include:

• ILLINOIS: 
  • Sam Scott, Co-Chair, 91̽»¨; Former Chairman, Ingredion Incorporated
• INDIANA:
  • Steve Obert, Executive Director,  
  • Alfonso Vidal, CEO, , LLC (Evansville, IN)
  • Sofia, Undocumented DREAMer, TheDream.US Scholar (Indiana)
• IOWA:
  • Tom Hughes, President & CEO, (Cedar Rapids, IA)
• MICHIGAN:
  • Chris Alpers, Vice Chair, ; Owner, , (Leelanau County, MI) 
  • Andy Johnston, Vice President of Government Affairs,  
  • Guadalupe Perales, Michigan Director, UFW Foundation
  • Brad Williams, Vice President of Government Relations,  
• MISSOURI: 
  • Kim Lovelace-Hainsfurther, President, (Elsberry, MO)
• OHIO:
  • Tom Demaline, President & CEO, (Avon, OH)
  • Dr. Jane Fernandes, Former President, Guilford College, and incoming president for a member college of the in Ohio
  • Craig Regelbrugge, Senior Vice President, (Columbus, OH)
• WISCONSIN:
  • Derek Ahl, Partner, (Merrillan, WI) 
  • Cesar Gajales, Public Affairs Director,  
  • Kristine Hillmer, President & CEO,  

Background: The bipartisan Crapo-Bennet Senate companion bill to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act would stabilize the current and future agricultural workforce by modernizing H-2A visas and providing undocumented farmworkers and their immediate family members legal immigration status and a path to citizenship. The bipartisan Durbin-Graham DREAM Act and the SECURE Act would bring immediate solutions to families living in limbo and businesses struggling to find workers across industries by providing, respectively, a path to legalization for immigrants brought to the United States as children and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). 

Cosponsors: 91̽»¨Hort, Hughes Nursery and Landscaping, The Libre Initiative, US Apple, Northern Family Farms, Wisconsin Restaurant Association, President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce

ABOUT

The 91̽»¨ (ABIC) promotes common sense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, and citizens.

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