Business leaders in Texas say a final passage of federal immigration legislation will help solve labor shortages for all occupations.
Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, said currently the state allows foreign nationals to be educated here and then tells them to go home.
"We know if those folks were to stay here not only would it help our economy but they would create jobs, and currently there is no legal immigration of low non-skilled workers and the demand is there in particular in hospitality, agriculture and construction," Hammond said.
Hammond said this line of thinking has nothing to do with providing foreign nationals with jobs that Americans are unwilling to take.
"It's not that Texans or Americans who were born here will not take those jobs, it’s simply that not enough of them will. And we feel like immigration should be somewhat like trade, there would be an ebb and flow as the demand rose or fell and the system would allow enough legal immigration to meet the needs of employers."
Hammond said another benefit the bill final passage is ending some businesses abuse of the immigration population.
One of the flaws in the Senate bill that he is concerned with is that the system wouldn't allow for enough legal immigration to meet the demands of employers.
