Minnesota Chamber Lobbies Congress for Immigration Reform

UNDATED (WJON News) -- Immigration was a big topic of discussion for a group of about 35 Minnesotans who traveled to Washington D.C. recently with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

St. Cloud Area Chamber President Julie Lunning says five chambers were represented along with 30 corporations.

She says they are looking for major immigration reform to help the business sector including an increase in the number of H-2B Visas would help the state's resort industry.

You go up to the Brainerd Lakes area with the resorts, there aren't enough people to work at those resorts, a lot of those people come internationally into our country and work those jobs.

Lunning says the federal government needs to open up more H-1B visas too. She says about 30 percent of the students at St. Cloud State University are international students, who can't stay here once they graduate.

When those highly skilled individuals are graduating from college most of them want to stay in the country.  They want to be able to take what they've learned and build their careers here.  Unfortunately, we have to smile and say 'bye'.

She says those students are highly skilled with majors for jobs that need to be filled. She calls the immigration system broken and needs to be looked at piece by piece and as an all-or-nothing issue.

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