Kansas Livestock Association talks immigration reform in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KSNT) - The Kansas Livestock Association joined other groups to discuss immigration reform with more than 200 hundred congressional offices in D.C. recently.

The "Secure America's Workforce" meeting was a policy summit and legislative visit hosted by American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) held from Oct. 21-23. ABIC is a group of more than 1,700 employers seeking lasting immigration solutions through securing the border and removing felons, building a competitive legal immigration system and humanely address the status of unauthorized immigrants.

The KLA believes the livestock and cattle industries are struggling with labor demand. Cattlemen, particularly in rural areas of Kansas, often rely on migrant labor, and the existing visa programs aren't meeting the needs of ranchers.

KLA staff met with all six members of the Kansas delegation, as well as Senator John Boozman (AR), chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee and senior staff of the House Agricultural Committee. In these discussions, KLA staff emphasized the current workforce status and the need to reform guest worker programs to meet the labor demands of livestock producers year round.

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