Today, more than 400 leading U.S. businesses and advocacy organizations called on the U.S. Congress to enact immigration reform legislation. The letter was signed by a broad cross section of industries that includes agriculture, housing, retail, tourism, hospitality, technology, engineering, manufacturing, finance, venture capital, consumer electronics and others with a combined presence in every state in the United States.

“This broad coalition of businesses and associations is sending a simple, clear message:  a modern immigration system is central to America’s economic strength.  The system in place now is out of step with the demands of the U.S. economy, from agriculture to tourism to tech.  Every day that passes without immigration reform is a day when jobs land overseas instead of within our shores,” explained ITI president and CEO Dean Garfield.  “We have the best opportunity in a generation to reform our immigration system.  This coalition is committed to doing all that we can to encourage lawmakers to finally fix our broken immigration bureaucracy and shape a stronger future for our country.”

The full list of businesses and advocacy organizations that signed today’s letter to U.S. House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is at the end of this release.  The text of the letter reads:

“The undersigned organizations urge the United States Congress to enact legislation that would bring meaningful reforms to critical components of our nation’s immigration system.  Reform of an outdated, broken immigration system is essential if we are to achieve a fully revitalized economy that provides rewarding and lasting jobs and opportunities for all Americans.

“Thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum agree that enacting immigration reform now will accelerate U.S. economic growth at a critical time when it has struggled to recover, and will help to enable sustained growth for decades to come.  Done right, reform will also serve to protect and complement our U.S. workforce, generating greater productivity and economic activity that will lead to new innovations, products, businesses, and jobs in communities across the U.S.

“We deal with an immigration system that is now in its third decade and completely incapable of being responsive to an ever-changing national economy and hypercompetitive global marketplace.  Today, the problems with our immigration system have grown and multiplied to become an emerging threat to the current and future productivity, ingenuity, and competitiveness of key sectors of our economy, including agriculture, housing, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, tourism, engineering, and technology.

“We are united in the belief that we can and must do better for our economy and country by modernizing our immigration system.  We already have been engaged with many members of Congress -- Republicans and Democrats -- on numerous components of a modern immigration system, and we urge that you not let this momentum slip and progress vanish.

“Failure to act is not an option.  We can’t afford to be content and watch a generation-old immigration system work more and more against our overall national interest.   Instead, we urge Congress to remain mindful of the clear benefits to our economy if we succeed, and work together and with us to achieve real, pro-growth immigration reform.”

About ITI:  ITI is the premier advocacy and policy organization for the world’s leading innovation companies.  ITI navigates the relationships between policymakers, companies, and non-governmental organizations, providing creative solutions that advance the development and use of technology around the world.  Visit itic.org to learn more.

For more information: 

  • CompTIA:  Lisa Fasold, 630-678-8558, lfasold@comptia.org
  • Information Technology Industry Council:  Meghan Fletcher, 202-524-4389, mfletcher@itic.org
  • National Association of Manufacturers:  Matthew Lavoie, 202-637-3085, MLavoie@nam.org
  • TechNet: Jim Hock, 202-463-0035, jim.hock@463.com
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Blair Latoff Holmes, 202.463.5682, BLatoff@USChamber.com

The following is a list of companies, associations and organizations that have signed on to the letter:

Adams Insurance Service, Inc.; Adobe; Advanced Decisions, Inc.; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD); AGCO Corporation; Albany-Colonie (NY) Regional Chamber; Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers; ALOM; American Action Forum; American Action Network; American Association of University Women (AAUW); American Beekeeping Federation; American Coatings Association; American Council of Engineering Companies; American Council on International Personnel; American Farm Bureau Federation; American Feed Industry Association; American Honey Producers Association; American Hotel & Lodging Association; American Immigration Lawyers Association; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; American Jewish Committee (NJ); American Meat Institute; American Nursery & Landscape Association; American Project Consultants, LLC; American Sheep Industry Association; American Standard Development Company; Anaheim (CA) Chamber of Commerce; Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce; Applied Materials; Appvance Inc; Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Arizona Farm Bureau Federation; Arizona Nursery Association; Arizona Technology Council; Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas; Arlington Chamber of Commerce (Texas); Arsenal Venture Partners; Aspen Square Hotel; Associated Industries of Massachusetts; Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado; Association for Competitive Technology; AT&T; Austin Ventures; Autodesk, Inc.; Avid Park Capital, LLC; Axcelis Technologies; Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber; Baton Rouge Area (LA) Chamber; Belton Area Chamber of Commerce; Bennington Area (VT) Chamber of Commerce; Blount Partnership; Brokaw Nursery, Inc.; BSA | The Software Alliance; Buckeye Valley (AZ) Chamber of Commerce; Business Council of Alabama; Business Council of New York State, Inc; Cabarrus (NC) Regional Chamber of Commerce; Cadence Design Systems; California Chamber of Commerce; California Cotton Ginners Association; California Farm Bureau Federation; California Grape and Tree Fruit League; California Strawberry Commission; CALinnovates; Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd.; Capital Factory; Cargill; Carpet Empire Plus; Cervilenz Inc.; Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County (IN); Chamber of Commerce Southwest LA; Chambers of Commerce Alliance of Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties (CA); Chandler (AZ) Chamber of Commerce; Cherry Lane Farms; Chicago Southland (IL) Chamber of Commerce; Chicagoland (IL) Chamber of Commerce; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Collaborative Communications; Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry; Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association; Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc.  (LA); Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Compete America; CompTIA; Computer & Communications Industry Association; Concord Servicing Corporation; Concord Software Leasing Corporation; Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association; Consumer Electronics Association; Cordele-Crisp (GA) Chamber of Commerce; Corning Incorporated; Cottonwood Technology Fund - NVCA Member; Dairy Producers of New Mexico; Dakota County (MN) Regional Chamber of Commerce; Dallas Regional Chamber; Danna & Danna, Inc.; Danna Farms, Inc.; Danna Investment Co.; Danna Land Co.; Danna Properties, LP; Daytona (FL) Regional Chamber of Commerce; Dell; Deloitte LLP; Delta Planning, Inc.; Denton Glass Company; Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce; Diversified Thermal Insulation; Dow Chemical Company; East Bay (RI) Chamber of Commerce; eBay Inc.; EcoFactor Inc.; Edison Ventures; Einstein’s Alley NJ; Elance, Inc.; EMC; EnerNOC, Inc.; Engine; Erie (PA) Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership; ETM-Electromatic Inc; Everett Partners, Ltd; F5 Networks; Facebook; Fall River Area (MA) Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Farmers Investment Co; Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce; Finelite Inc; FirstFruits of Washington; Fitzgerald Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies; Florida Chamber of Commerce; Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association; FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.; FWD.US; Gatlinburg (TN) Chamber of Commerce; Gazzang INc; General Electric; Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Georgia Green Industry Association; Gilbert (AZ) Chamber of Commerce; Global Immigration Benchmarking Council; GLOBALFOUNDRIES; Google Inc.; Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition; Greater Boca Raton (FL) Chamber of Commerce; Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce; Greater Des Moines (IA) Partnership; Greater Durham (NC) Chamber of Commerce; Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce; Greater Houston Partnership; Greater Indianapolis (IN) Chamber of Commerce; Greater Irving-Las Colinas (TX) Chamber of Commerce; Greater Memphis (TN) Chamber; Greater Pittsburgh (PA) Chamber of Commerce; Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce; Greater Richmond (VA) Chamber; Greater San Antonio (TX) Chamber of Commerce; Greater Topeka (KS) Chamber of Commerce; Green Bay Area (WI) Chamber of Commerce; Grok Inc; Grower-Shipper Association of Central California; Henderson County (NC) Chamber of Commerce; Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (SC) Chamber of Commerce; Hilton Worldwide; Hispanic Leadership Network; HR Policy Association; Hudson County (NJ) Chamber of Commerce; Huffman & Hawbaker Farms; IBC Bank IBM Corporation; Idaho Farm Bureau Federation; Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association; Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Illinois Farm Bureau; Illinois Green Industry Association; Illinois Technology Association; Indiana Chamber of Commerce; Indiana Farm Burea; Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association; Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association; Infinera; Information Technology Industry Council; Ingersoll Rand; inSPIRE STEM USA; Intel Corporation; International Dairy Foods Association; Intersouth Partners; Intuit; IRONCO Enterprises LLC; Irrigation Association; Jan Medical, Inc.; Jefferson Chamber of Commerce; Johnson City TN Chamber of Commerce; JumpStart Inc.; Juniper Networks; K & W Mfg. Co., Inc.; Kansas Chamber of Commerce; Kansas Farm Bureau; Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce; Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers; KnowledgeTree Inc.; Kovio, Inc.; Laredo (TX) Chamber of Commerce; Las Vegas (NV) Metro Chamber of Commerce; Lassen Canyon Nursery, Inc.; Lee & Hayes, PLLC; Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce; LiveOps, Inc.; Lone Star Boat, RV & Self Storage; Longview (TX) Chamber of Commerce; Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC); Loudoun County (VA) Chamber of Commerce; Louisiana Irrigation Association; Lubbock (TX) Chamber of Commerce; Madrona Venture Group; Manhattan (NY) Chamber of Commerce; Marvell Semiconductor, Inc.; Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association; Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX); Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council; MC Marketing Group LLC; Melaleuca, Inc; MetricStream; Metro South Chamber of Commerce; Michigan Apple Association; Michigan Farm Bureau; Michigan Milk Producers Association; Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association; Microsoft Corp.; Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; MIND Research Institute; Minnesota Chamber of Commerce; Minnesota Farm Bureau; Minnesota High Tech Association; Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association; Mitsubishi International Corporation; Monterey County Farm Bureau; Morgenthaler; Morris County (NJ) Chamber of Commerce; Morris County (NJ) Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce; Motive Power Systems Inc.; Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association; Motorola Solutions, Inc.; Myrtle Beach Area (SC) Chamber of Commerce; Naperville Area (IL) Chamber of Commerce; NASDAQ OMX; Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce; National Association of Manufacturers; National Christmas Tree Association; National Council of Agricultural Employers; National Council of Chain Restaurants; National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; National Foreign Trade Council; National Grape Cooperative Association Inc.; National Immigration Forum; National Onion Association; National Potato Council; National Retail Federation; National Roofing Contractors Association; National Venture Capital Association; New England Apple Council; New Jersey Main Street Alliance; New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association; New York Farm Bureau; New York Technology Council; NewComLink; Nisei Farmers League; Nitero, Inc.; NM Association of Commerce & Industry; North American Blueberry Council; North Carolina Farm Bureau; North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association; North Carolina Technology Association; North East Ohio International Business Network; Northeast Dairy Producers Association; Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce; Northumberland County (VA) Chamber of Commerce; OCZ Technology Group, Inc.; OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals; Ohio Chamber of Commerce; Ohio Farm Bureau Federation; Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association; Ohio Venture Association; ON Semiconductor; OnShift, Inc.; Oracle; Oregon Association of Nurseries; Oregon Cherry Growers, Inc.; Oregon Farm Bureau; Outdoor Amusement Business Association, Inc.; Overland Park Chamber of Commerce; Overstock.com; Oxnard (CA) Chamber of Commerce; Packard Place; Palm Desert Area (CA)Chamber of Commerce; Paramount Citrus; Paramount Farming Company; Partnership for a New American Economy; Paymetric Inc; Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Permac Industries; Pokeware; Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce; Preemptive Solutions; Prescott (AZ) Chamber of Commerce; Prime Time International; Produce Marketing Association; Producers Chemical Co.; Professional Landcare Network; PTV Sciences; Purple Leaf, LLC; Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce; Qualcomm; R&L Well Drilling LLC; Rackspace Hosting, Inc.; Rancho Cordova (CA) Chamber of Commerce; Retail Industry Leaders Association; Revolution; River Cities Capital Funds; Robert Mann Packaging, Inc.; Rogers-Lowell Area (AR) Chamber of Commerce; Rollins, Inc.; Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship; S3 Ventures, LLC; SailPoint Technologies, Inc.; Salt Lake (UT) Chamber; San Antonio (TX) Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; San Diego County Farm Bureau; San Francisco Chamber of Commerce; Santa Clara (CA) Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau; Santa Clara University; Schuylkill (PA) Chamber of Commerce; Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International; Semiconductor Industry Association; Signature Landscape Inc; Silicon Valley Bank; Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Society for Human Resource Management; Society of American Florists; South Carolina Chamber of Commerce; South Carolina Farm Bureau; South Metro Denver Chamber; Sports Tutor, Inc.; St. Louis (MO) Regional Chamber; State Agriculture and Rural Leaders; Statewide Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce (NJ); Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NJ); StepLeader; Sun-Maid Growers of California; Sunshine Hope; Surplus Service; SV Angel; Sweet Potato Council of California; Sylvatex; Symantec; Synopsys, Inc.; TechAmerica; TechNet; Technology Association of Oregon; Technology CEO Council; Telecommunications Industry Association; Tempe (AZ) Chamber of Commerce; Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Tennessee Farm Bureau; Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition; Texas Association of Business; Texas Farm Bureau; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Texas International Produce Association; Texas Nursery & Landscape Association; The Business Council of New York State, Inc.; The Center for APA Women; The Chamber of Reno, Sparks, and Northern Nevada; The Internet Association; The MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce; The National Grange; The New England Council; The Partnership for a New American Economy; The Shurtleff Group; The Technology Association of Georgia; Tompkins County (NY) Chamber of Commerce; TransPak, Inc.; TransPremier LLC; Trimble Navigation; Tucson (AZ) Hispanic Chamber; Tucson (AZ) Metro Chamber of Commerce; Tulsa (OK) Regional Chamber; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; U.S. Travel Association; Uesugi Farms, Inc.; Ugaldes restaurant; United Dairymen of Arizona; United Fresh Produce Association; UnitedAg; Valley Industry & Commerce Association; Ventura County Agricultural Association; Venture Investors LLC; Vessey & Company, Inc.; Vida Capital Inc; Virgin America; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association; Virginia Farm Bureau; Virginia Green Industry Council; Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association; Washington Farm Bureau; Washington Growers League; Washington Laboratories and American Certification Body; Washington State Dairy Federation; Washington Technology Industry Association; Welch Foods Inc.; West Coast Mennonite Central Committee; Western Agricultural Processors Association; Western Digital Corporation; Western Growers; Willits & Newcomb, Inc.; Wine Institute; Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce; Woodrow Engineering Company; Woolley Engineering Research Corp.; XTn Group, LLC; Yahoo!; Yelp; Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association; Zacarias Actuarial Consultants, Inc; and, Zachry Holdings, Inc.

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