The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) recently delivered a letter to Congress from the leadership of southern state nursery and landscape associations in support of sensible and timely immigration reform legislation. The Senate is currently debating American businesses’ access to a critically needed immigrant labor force. The state associations ranging from Maryland to Texas, signed onto the letter while gathered for the recent Southern Nursery Association’s annual State Officers’ Conference.

The letter urges Congress to carefully weigh the risk of passing enforcement only legislation that would “devastate the agriculture and service economy across the South and beyond.” While the associations supported enforcement in the context of clear and workable laws, they stated that, “any workable solution must include a way for trained, experienced and otherwise law-abiding employees to earn permanent legal status.” The letter also supported the reform of the existing H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs.

The letter closed calling on members of the U.S. Senate from the South to “embrace a truly comprehensive approach to reforming our nation’s immigration laws, and for members of the House of Representatives to insist that any immigration bill sent to the President for signature must address the immigration issue comprehensively.”