U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Rep. Mike Simpson Join Intermountain Leaders to Call on Congress for Bipartisan Immigration Solutions
Facing chronic labor shortage, farmers, business, faith, and civic leaders from Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona to make the case for bipartisan immigration solutions at bipartisan forum
Media is invited to attend. Register here.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — In Utah, there are more jobs available than people to fill them. In Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, the farm labor workforce has shrunk by almost 37%, with Arizona not far behind. This was before the pandemic. The Intermountain region has struggled with labor shortages for years, leaving employers across industries — from farming and hospitality to restaurants and healthcare — unable to find the workers they need to grow and thrive. Today, acute labor shortages are forcing farmers to give away their crops, while restaurants continue to shut down and casinos in Colorado can’t even get applications for open positions. Arizona expects a shortage of 150,000 construction workers by 2022.
Join farmers, business, faith, and civic leaders from Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona as they urge Senators to support bipartisan immigration solutions at Intermountain Rising: Strengthening our Workforce Through Bipartisan Immigration Solutions on Thursday, June 10th at 10:00 AM MST / 12:00 PM EST. They will discuss how immigration solutions, including the bipartisan farm workforce bill being developed by Senators Bennet and Crapo, the bipartisan Durbin-Graham Dream Act, and the SECURE Act will help expand our workforce, bring certainty to employers and families, and help the region roar back from the pandemic.
This event is sponsored by the Intermountain Chapter of the American Business Immigration Coalition, the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, American Hort and Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Media is invited to attend. Register here.
Speakers include:
- US Sen. Michael Bennet – U.S. Senator (D-Colorado)
- US Rep. Mike Simpson – U.S Representative (R-Idaho)
- Rep. Michelle Udall – State Representative (R-D25)
- Noelle E. Cockett, President, Utah State University
- Jordan Rolfe – Chief Operating Officer, Olson’s Greenhouse Gardens
- Stan Marek – CEO, Marek
- Bob Worsley – Former Arizona State Senator (R) and ABIC Board Member
- Rick Naerebout – CEO, Idaho Dairymen’s Association
- Joe Clayton – Owner, Clayton Tree Farm LLC
- Shay Myers – CEO, Owyhee Produce
- Craig Regelbrugge – Senior Vice President, AmericanHort
- James O’Neill – Director of Outreach, ABIC
- Dallin Adams – Director, ABIC Intermountain
- Rebecca Shi – Executive Director, ABIC
Background
Immigrants are the backbone of the Intermountain economy.
- Immigrants make up 9.1% of the population in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, and power key industries including agriculture, hospitality, restaurants and healthcare.
- The Agricultural industry holds a large share of immigrant workers in the Intermountain region. Farmworkers grow, pack, and supply our food amid a lethal pandemic; they labor in extreme heat, wildfires, and toxic pesticides; they feed us. The growing shortage in farmworkers has yielded to massive crop loses and put our food supply at risk.
- Over 136,000 immigrants have started their own businesses in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, stimulating their local economies, creating jobs, and contributing more than $3.5 billion in business income.
- Undocumented immigrants in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado make over $10.8 billion in household income, pay over $1.75 billion in taxes, and have a spending power of $9.6 billion.
- Dreamers – Only some of whom have DACA — have been on the frontlines of the pandemic and deserve a path to citizenship. There are more than 63,000 DACA recipients in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado.
- TPS holders — Many are homeowners, business owners, workers, and parents of U.S. citizen children. There are 411,000 TPS holders —including 6,462 living in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona — who have been living and contributing to our communities for 10, 20, and even 30 years.