Jun 5, 2009

ANLA Participates in Joint Launch of Reform Immigration FOR AmericaSource: ANLA

The American Nursery & Landscape Association joined a coalition of national organizations to formally launch Reform Immigration FOR America, a united effort to aggressively pursue legislative and executive action on comprehensive immigration reform. The coalition brings together a broad range of stakeholders that includes employers, worker advocates, cultural organizations, unions and religious organizations. ANLA Executive Vice President Bob Dolibois addressed the audience during the launch.

“ANLA is here today because we believe in this model,” Dolibois said. “It is the same commitment to partnership and compromise that made the AgJOBS bill possible and has kept it going through six years to its recent reintroduction in both the House and Senate.”

Mr. Dolibois was joined by Benjamin Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Washington bureau, and executive leaders from organizations including Service Employees International Union (SEIU), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the Center for American Progress, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC). The Washington, D.C., event was part of a series of launch events around the country and precedes a two-day lobbying event on Capitol Hill, attracting approximately 800 businesses and organizations to restart the comprehensive immigration reform debate.

The day also brought an announcement from the White House of an informal summit with leaders from Capitol Hill on June 8 to discuss comprehensive immigration reform. The day’s events drew significant media attention, including the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, Telemundo and the Washington Times.

“Indisputably, our national and economic security will be better served by broad-based immigration reform solutions than by more of the same: enforcement-only, deferral and delay,” Dolibois said in closing. “To our nation’s, leaders I say, ‘It is time.'”

For more information, visit www.anla.org.