McLean County Chamber hosts immigration reform forum

Immigration Reform Forum
(Adam Studzinski/WJBC)

By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County Chamber of Commerce held a forum Thursday morning to discuss the need for immigration reform and the impact it would have on business.

Chamber President Charlie Moore said significant issues regarding immigration law are prohibiting employers from retaining workers.

“Especially in McLean County, where agriculture is our number one industry. If you have folks that are working on a farm and they aren’t able to stay, that doesn’t allow those farmers to retain,” said Moore. “Especially in their interim, so whether they’re seasonal employees, to be able to stay.”

There’s also the loss of foreign students who go to college at schools such as Illinois State University or Illinois Wesleyan University.

“We’ve trained them. We’ve, hopefully, integrated them into the community while they were here. Encouraged them to participate in internships or relationships with businesses in the community and then they leave,” said Moore. “So from an employer choice perspective, they lose that opportunity to hire or retain that talent.”

Representatives from the Illinois Farm Bureau, faith leaders with Bibles, Badges, and Businesses and State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) were among those participating in the forum. Brady said he was there to listen to what recommendations the group could give him as a legislator to help improve immigration laws.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…