The Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition testified before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security on the need for a stable and permanent workforce for the meat and poultry industries. 

Mike Brown, president of the National Chicken Council, testified on behalf of the coalition saying, “To date, much of the discussion has focused on the need to retain highly skilled workers such as scientists and engineers, and the need for additional temporary agricultural workers.  These are important objectives, but they do not meet the needs of our industry sector.  We are manufacturers wanting a stable and permanent workforce that can help sustain the rural communities where we do business.”  The coalition is focused on five major themes for immigration reform:

1) Border security;

2) Improvement to the E-verify system as an alternative to a national identity card;

3) Clarity in anti-discrimination laws;

4) An occupational visa category that the meat and poultry industry can use that could be tied to local or regional employment; and

5) Options to effectively address the 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S.

The Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition members include the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, North American Meat Association, American Meat Institute, and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.