Bill Hammond
The president of the Texas Association of Business has added his voice to a chorus calling on the country?s Republicans to support comprehensive immigration reform.
Bill Hammond, in a call with reporters, called for an immigration system in which businesses are protected and aren?t forced to be ?enforcement experts.?
The former Republican state legislator teamed up Monday with a loose coalition of religious leaders, law enforcement and businesses named ?Bibles, Badges and Business for Immigration Reform.? The group ? an effort of the National Immigration Forum ? calls on conservative lawmakers to work with their Democratic counterparts on a permanent reform of the immigration system.
The group?s official launch comes just a day ahead of President Barack Obama?s State of the Union address and two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee?s hearing on comprehensive immigration reform.
The coalition?s guiding principles include:
- Creating a path toward citizenship for aspiring citizens while respecting those who have been waiting in line.
- Modernizing immigration laws so future immigration is ?fair, legal and orderly.?
- Recognizing the need for border security and community safety.
- Ensuring worker programs are a part of any reform.
Hammond said establishing a program for temporary workers is especially important to the agricultural and construction industries in Texas.
?This will keep the economy growing strong in Texas,? Hammond said, speaking against various legislation across the country that has sought to restrict businesses? ability to hire immigrant workers.
?It?s a federal issue, not a state issue,? he said.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino also joined Hammond on the call, along with leadership from the National Latino Evangelical Coalition and the National Immigration Forum. Religious leaders say immigration reform is a moral issue, while Trevino spoke to the role of local officers.
?We need our state and local officers to concentrate on local crimes, not on federal issues,? Trevino said.
The ?Bibles, Badges and Business? coalition will host a panel discussion, to include Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, Wednesday in Austin.
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