Illinois Farm Bureau president responds to Senate passing immigration reform bill

[June 29, 2013]  BLOOMINGTON -- The following is a statement from Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson regarding the U.S. Senate's passage of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act.

"After months of hard work and continued conversations with our legislators, we are pleased to see the passage of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. Illinois has a rich and diverse agriculture industry that, in many cases, depends on migrant labor. This legislation not only reforms a flawed system, but helps address agricultural workforce shortages, provides an incentive to keep guest workers in agricultural jobs and creates a more stable workforce for farmers in Illinois and across the country.

"We appreciate the hard work and support of both Sen. Durbin and Sen. Kirk on this important legislation. With the passage of this bill, the Senate has sent a strong message to members of the House of Representatives to pass similar legislation, securing the future of our agriculture workforce and a stable food supply."

[Text from file received from Illinois Farm Bureau]