Business groups are one of the biggest backers of immigration reform this year, with trade associations in a number of industries looking to expand their pool of legal workers with a new guest worker program. But getting to a deal is easier said than done.Leaders in low-skill industries like agriculture, meatpacking, construction, landscaping, and hospitality have been agitating for years to pass comprehensive reform, saying they face a shortage of workers without immigration labor. But the biggest labor groups, who are backing immigration reform as well, are suspicious of business’ plans and are trying to head off a guest worker program that they think will be used to undercut American workers with cheap and non-union labor.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=92606