Watch the video.

Today, Jason Berry the owner of Berry Farms in Vivaldia, Georgia joined a call with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to highlight the important economic benefits of immigration reform to the agricultural industry.  Jason’s company produces 200 acres of organic blueberries, in addition to 50 acres of vegetables. In the spring and summer of 2011 a drastic shortage of farm workers, invoked by the passage of a local law, almost caused him to lose his farm.  Desperate for workers, Jason began offering $50 signing bonuses to locals who were willing to work harvesting his crops; however, based on his estimates, 90% of those new hires quit within three days.  Jason says the losses at his blueberry and vegetable farm were almost enough to put his small operation under, which would have drastically impacted him and his 15 year round employees.  Jason’s story is one echoed by many farmers in Georgia.  Jason shared his story with President Obama in late June and continues to use his story to demonstrate why immigration reform is so important to America’s farmers and the entire agricultural industry.  Check out Jason’s video here.

Pro-reform supporters are making waves across the country as they continue to build momentum for immigration reform. The broad coalition of constituents who support reform is stronger and more bipartisan than ever. They have a clear message: Congress must work to fix our immigration system as soon as members return to the Capitol this fall.

In a meeting last week with the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, Representative Jeff Denham, a Republican lawmaker from California, expressed his support for moving commonsense immigration reform legislation in the House: “I thought we'd get this done before the August work period. I think the Senate made tremendous progress. It was done bipartisan [sic] and I thought that would be enough to get the House moving forward."

Both Senator Richard Durbin and Representative Bill Foster, Democratic lawmakers from Illinois, met with local Aurora business and community leaders to talk about the Senate’s bipartisan immigration reform bill, describing it as a “compromise” and stating that comprehensive legislation must include a “tough but fair” path to citizenship.

During a discussion with other Republican governors in Aspen, Colorado during the last week of July, Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie voiced support for immigration reform “Allowing the system to continue in the broken way that it is now is negative for America’s economy and it’s also bad for these folks who now have had children in this country and some of them grandchildren in this country," which demonstrates that support for immigration reform comes from both sides of the political aisle.

This is just a snapshot of the meetings that lawmakers are having with their constituents all over the U.S – the message is clear, a majority of Americans want to see their Representative address the issue of immigration reform. 

Events discussing the positive economic benefits for immigration reform continue to take place across the country. Just today, the Bibles, Badges and Business kicked off a South by Southwest (SXSW) conference with a panel of CEOs to discuss the importance of immigration reform to the business community. This panel, attended by over 1,500 tech entrepreneurs is part of an ongoing discussion on how immigration reform will help grow our economy and create jobs.   

The White House and the Administration are also part of the growing chorus of voices making the case for commonsense immigration reform. Last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker hosted a roundtable with business leaders in Des Moines, Iowa to highlight the economic benefits of fixing our immigration system.

This summer, the White House released a series of reports that add to the mounting evidence demonstrating that fixing our immigration system and creating an earned path to citizenship would add a big boost to our economy, strengthen Social Security, and modernize our legal immigration system to make it more consistent with our values. Reports include the economic case for immigration reform, detailing how it impacts each state as well as the agricultural community.

As support continues to grow from the American people, the White House and the President will support bipartisan efforts in the House of Representatives to pass this commonsense legislation as soon as possible.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce | Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO

“Today the U.S. Senate took a major step forward in fixing America’s broken immigration system, securing our border, strengthening our economy and competitiveness, and reaffirming America’s legacy as an open and welcoming society. We commend the Gang of Eight for their leadership and applaud the bipartisan cooperation that made the bill’s passage possible.

“We are pleased that the House is making its own progress. We recognize that the House will take a different approach on many components of reform and hope these differences can be reasonably resolved so that sound legislation can be sent to the president for approval. We will continue to work with all parties to help move this process forward. LINK

Small Business Majority | John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO

“The Senate’s passage of the ‘Gang of Eight’s” bipartisan immigration legislation is great news for small business owners looking for intelligent fixes to our broken immigration system. While not perfect, the bill is full of provisions small employers strongly support and believe would help their businesses and our economy.

[…]

“Everyone benefits when we encourage hard-working immigrants to bring their skillsets to the U.S. and let previously undocumented immigrants legally join our workforce, pay taxes and contribute in a meaningful way to our economy..” LINK

National Association of Manufactures | Doug Oberhelman, Chairman of the NAM Board of Directors and Caterpillar Chairman and CEO & Jay Timmons, NAM President and CEO

“It is critical that we have an immigration system that reflects the needs of our modern economy,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO and Chairman of the NAM Board of Directors Doug Oberhelman. “The benefits of reform—a lower deficit, bolstered economic growth, a skilled workforce and a renewed commitment to the principles that built America—are clear. At each step of this process, the NAM and manufacturers will work with Congress to ensure that reform becomes a reality.”

[…]

“Comprehensive immigration reform represents a simple question: Do we want the next generation of innovation and life-altering ideas to originate in America, or are we content to allow other nations to surpass us?” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Today’s Senate passage is evidence that bipartisanship can still be found in Washington, D.C., and manufacturers are grateful to the senators who came together to lead on this critical issue. However, there is still work to be done. The House of Representatives must take a page from the Senate and work together to pass comprehensive reform.” LINK

Financial Services Forum | Rob Nichols, President and CEO

“We are encouraged by the progress U.S. policymakers have made toward achieving comprehensive immigration reform today. A much-needed update of U.S. immigration policies will help strengthen our national security, increase our economic growth and international competitiveness, and attract and retain the best talent to the United States. We are hopeful the House will work to produce an immigration plan that meets the goals of increasing U.S. economic and job growth and promoting future innovation here in America. LINK

Facebook | Mark Zuckerberg, CEO

“While immigration is important for our economic future, it is also fundamentally an issue of who we are as people,” Zuckerberg wrote in a status update on his Facebook page. “While a lot work remains to be done before reform becomes law, today’s vote showed that Senators from across the political spectrum came together in a bipartisan way to vote for reform that will move our economy forward and honor our history as a nation of immigrants.”

Pat Quinn, Governor, IL (D)

“Immigration reform is not only the right thing to do. It will also stimulate Illinois’ economy over the next 10 years by creating an estimated 4,400 new jobs annually and generating $1.6 billion in additional taxes from immigrants to state coffers. It will send a signal that the people of the United States embrace the freedom-seekers and entrepreneurs who wish only for a shot at the American Dream and a chance to contribute.  As governor of one of the nation’s most immigrant-friendly states, I call on the U.S. House of Representatives to act quickly to pass this legislation.” LINK

Brian Sandoval, Governor, NV (R)

“I congratulate the United States Senate for its vote today to comprehensively reform our country’s immigration system. The Senate’s vote today is a sign of hope for those millions of people across the United States who are counting on us to make sure that the window to opportunity always remains open to everyone. I am confident that Congress can work together to achieve immigration reform that is good for both parties and good for America. I stand ready to work with Nevadans and Americans to secure a better day for our state and our country.” LINK

Americans for Tax Reform | Grover Norquist, President

"As Winston Churchill said, 'This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.' The Senate moved the immigration reform debate in the right direction today, passing a bill that begins the task of modernizing our broken immigration system. Now it is up to the House of Representatives to improve and strengthen the bill, and deliver immigration reform that creates a workable legal immigration system which deters illegal immigration by facilitating a robust future flow of legal immigrants and strengthening the American economy.” LINK

NDN | Simon Rosenberg, President and Founder

“Today, we join in celebrating the passage of the Senate immigration reform bill. As we’ve written before, we believe the bill at its core is ambitious, bold and super smart. It improves the legal immigration system, strengthens border security and interior enforcement, puts unauthorized immigrants on a path to citizenship and makes prudent investments in our ports of entry with Mexico which will create jobs on both sides of our border.

Whether the rest of Congress can keep the integrity of this bill as it moves forward in the coming months remains to be seen. We remain hopeful, but have no illusions how about much work needs to be to ensure that President Obama signs not just an immigration bill later this year, but a good one.” LINK

AFL-CIO  |  Richard Trumka, President

“The United States Senate today moved our country a big step closer to building a common sense immigration system that will allow millions of aspiring Americans to become citizens. Now it is up to the House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead by allowing a majority of House members to vote on a bill with a path to citizenship.”  LINK

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) |  Eliseo Medina, Secretary-Treasurer

"All throughout the corners of America, we celebrate this monumental step the Senate has taken to finally pass historic immigration reform. Senators who voted for this legislation have made their mark on the pages of American history. And we thank them.

"No one can truly claim that this legislation is entirely perfect…What we can undoubtedly affirm is that this bill will set a new precedent and will mend much of our broken immigration system. It will allow millions of our friends, colleagues, families and neighbors to enter the threshold into American society, democracy and our economy. The lives of all families will be impacted for the better as will our economy that will stand to flourish.” LINK

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) | Lee Saunders, President

“The legislation passed by the Senate today is a giant step forward toward fixing the United States’ severely broken immigration system. This historic legislation creates a practical process that upholds and reflects America’s fundamental values.

“Eleven million aspiring U.S. citizens live and work in the shadows of our society. They are exploited by unscrupulous employers and denied the right to a voice on the job. They work in an underground economy that harms everyone by driving wages down for all workers. It makes it harder for reputable employers to compete. The families of these workers live in a constant state of uncertainty and fear. That is not right. It is not the American way.” LINK

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops | Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, Chairman

“I commend the U.S. Senate on the vote and for the bi-partisan cooperation displayed during the legislative process. I urge the House of Representatives to follow the U.S. Senate’s lead and pass a comprehensive reform bill as soon as possible.

“The status quo of our current system causes much suffering among immigrants and their families and must end,” Archbishop Gomez said. “The Senate legislation would allow immigrants and their families to come out of the shadows and into the light and would protect families from separation[…]”  LINK

National Association of Evangelicals  |  Leith Anderson, President

“We’ve prayed for bipartisan immigration legislation in the Senate. Now it’s time to pray for bipartisan immigration legislation in the House.” LINK

Christian Community Development Association  |  Noel Castellanos, CEO

“The passage today of an immigration bill in the Senate is an answer to prayer for Evangelicals, and for the men, women and children who will benefit from this action. We thank our Senate leaders for having the courage and resolve to pass a bill that will fix our broken immigration system. Today, all Americans can be proud that our political representatives have pulled together to strengthen the fabric of our great nation.” LINK

Jewish Council for Public Affairs | Rabbi Steve Gutow, President

 “We are an Immigration Nation. For hundreds of years, people from all over the world have traveled to the United States to build better lives. Our national commitment to immigration has been critical to our national prosperity: powering innovation, creativity, and growth.  However, over the past decades, our system has become tarnished with an outmoded visa system, long waiting times, harsh detention and deportation policies, and millions of immigrants without a lawful status.  Today, the U.S. Senate acted in accordance with our best values: national leaders compromising to expand justice, dignity, and opportunity.

“In the Torah, we are taught to ‘welcome the stranger’.  Today the Senate restored our national commitment to immigration and relit the torch of promise that welcomes aspiring Americans through the golden door […].”  LINK

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on immigration reform in the East Room of the White House, June 11, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

As President Obama made clear earlier today the bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill being considered by the Senate this week is the best chance we’ve had in years to fix our broken immigration system – in large part because of the diverse and unusual coalition of stakeholders that have come together to support it. That coalition has united business and labor leaders, Republican and Democratic elected officials, the technology sector, law enforcement officers, faith and civil rights leaders, DREAMers and the many other stakeholders who agree that, while they may not see eye to eye on every issue, commonsense immigration reform is critical to our nation’s economic growth, competitiveness and national security.   

After the President spoke, these different stakeholders all shared why they have joined forces to support the Senate’s bill and fight to make bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform a reality for generations to come. Check out a roundup of their comments below:

“On behalf of the American business community, I would like to thank the President for his remarks today and his vigorous support for a common-sense immigration bill and for gathering together the people that are behind me who represent a broad section of American society.  We disagree on a lot of things, but we vigorously agree on a bill that makes common sense and takes people out of the shadows and provides for our economy the people we need to move forward.   We’re looking forward to today’s vote and working through the summer to get this thing done.” -- Tom Donohue, President and CEO, US Chamber of Commerce

“This is a start-up nation. Almost half of our Fortune 500 companies, as the President said, were started either by first- or second-generation immigrants.  So it’s very important that we continue to be a magnet for talent, that we really become the place that people want to start companies and start industries because that's the best way to drive our economy, the best way to drive our economic growth, the best way to drive down our unemployment.  We’ve got to make sure that we are able to attract those risk-takers, the pioneers who really believe in America as the most entrepreneurial nation in the world.” -- Steve Case, Chairman and CEO, Revolution LLC

“For every 100 foreign workers we have, we create 40 jobs for U.S. citizens.  I met a restaurant owner the other day who has three restaurants.  He said, if I could find enough workers I would have eight restaurants.  You can multiply that by hundreds of thousands -- that’s what happening in our economy today.  The single-biggest thing we can do for our economy is to pass this immigration bill.  This is first and foremost an economic bill, and to not pass this bill is to deny our economy the recovery and the growth and the prosperity that it warrants.” -- Carlos Gutierrez, former Secretary of Commerce

“What you see here is probably the broadest coalition of American society that’s been assembled.  You have business, you have labor, you have law enforcement, you have entrepreneurs -- we have groups from all over the place, and we all agree on several things.  We all agree, one, that the system is broken; two, that we need comprehensive immigration reform and we need it now.  We understand that it will be good for not only newcomers or immigrants, but it will be good for every worker here.  It will be good for business.  It will be good for the economy.  And that’s why all of us have come together to try to push and get this thing done this year.  Because every day that we wait is a day wasted and a day that we've lost, a day that the economy won't grow.” -- Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO

 “I’m the sheriff of the largest county in the state of Texas and the third largest in America.  This bill is good for public safety.  Even from the standpoint of businesses, if you want to make sure that communities are safe and strong, you need to support the aspect from the economic standpoint and businesses need to stay strong to keep our communities safe. Secondly, if you want to fight cartels, if you want to fight human trafficking, pass this bill.  This bill is good for public safety, and that’s why I applaud the President for his leadership and I applaud the Gang of Eight for their work in getting us to this point.  Now we’re asking for leadership to stand up across this country and get this bill passed.” -- Adrian Garcia, Sherriff, Harris County, TX

“Immigration reform, it’s the right time,  it’s the right place.  It’s the right thing to do.  As the former Commissioner of New York City and the former Police Chief in Los Angeles, the two largest immigrant populations in America, I’ve dealt firsthand over many years with the issues that that community faces.  This is a bill that needs to pass -- for them and for our country. I also applaud the efforts of the President and hopefully we’ll applaud the efforts of Congress as they debate this bill and bring it to a successful conclusion.” -- William Bratton, former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department

 “This bill represents the best opportunity that we have had in quite a long time to fix our broken immigration system.  It truly is both common sense and comprehensive.  I’m the Mayor of San Antonio, and at the local level, we see every day what happens when people put aside their ideology and partisan labels and actually get things done.  And what we have here is the opportunity for Democrats and Republicans -- people on both sides of the aisle -- to actually get something done in Washington, D.C. that’s going to boost America’s economy and fix our broken immigration system, and they ought to get it done soon.” -- Julian Castro, Mayor, San Antonio, TX

“Fresno County is the breadbasket of our nation.  We produce the food that feeds all of us.  Immigration reform is very important.  What I hear from our farmers is they have employees that are assaulted, robbed in the fields while they’re working, their cars are stolen, but they’re afraid to report crimes because of their immigration status.  No matter what kind of message we try to put out there using our media that we don’t look at papers from victims of crimes, we don’t arrest victims of crimes, the intrinsic fear is still there.  This is necessary for public safety.” -- Margaret Mims, Sherriff, Fresno County, CA

 “The members of SEIU are proud to stand with people from all walks of life to insist that the time is now, just as the President said, that we need common-sense immigration reform.  We want safe and secure borders.  We want a pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants.  And we want to be able to restore economic fairness across this economy.  And we stand proudly with the rest of the sectors from all across the walks of life represented here today to insist that the Senate needs to move this now.” -- Mary Kay Henry, International President, SEIU

 “I’m a DREAMer. I’ve lived in the U.S. for the past 18 years.  This is my home, first and foremost.  And I have a chemical engineering degree, one that’s collecting dust and desperately wants to be used to support our economy, to grow our economy.  I want to be all that I can possibly be in this great nation that I love.  And the way to get there for me, and for millions of others like me, is through immigration reform.  It’s good for families. It’s good for me -- it’s good for DREAMers.  It’s good for our economy.  It’s good for our nation as a whole.  And it’s really important that we stand strong and stand together and pursue common-sense immigration reform that really does speak to our American values.” -- Tolu Olubunmi, DREAMer

Julie Chavez Rodriguez is the Associate Director of Latino Affairs and Immigration for the Office of Public Engagement

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with DREAMers who have received Deferred Action and U.S. citizen family members of undocumented immigrants, in the Oval Office, May 21, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

As the Senate debates bipartisan immigration reform legislation, the President and the Vice President hosted a meeting today in the Oval Office with young immigrants, also known as DREAMers, as well as with the siblings and spouses of undocumented immigrants. The meeting was an important opportunity for the President and the Vice President to hear directly from people whose families are affected daily by our nation’s broken immigration system.

The President and the Vice President were moved by the stories of courage and determination these young immigrants shared. The DREAMers shared how the deferred action changed their lives for the better and emphasized that they and their families need a permanent solution that will allow them to fully contribute to the country they call home. Their stories were both powerful and authentic, inspiring us all to remember the important task and responsibility we carry as public servants and members of the Obama administration.

From Justino Mora, Angie Kim and Mehdi Mahraoui, to Diana Colin and Kevin Lee, all of the stories they shared were full of hope and optimism that one day their family members and their broader communities could realize the dream of becoming citizens of a country that has provided them with the opportunity to work hard and to succeed.

Miguel Leal and Melissa McGuire-Maniau also shared their commitment to this country as veterans of the US Armed Forces and all expressed their desire to continue to contribute as volunteers, mentors, and leaders in their own communities. 

As the meeting was wrapping up, the President reiterated his commitment to passing a bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill this year. And while he reminded everyone in the room that the bill is not perfect, he noted that it does represent an important step towards the broad principles that need to be part of any immigration reform package. He also encouraged them to continue to share their stories with the American public to move the hearts and minds of individual leaders and to propel the immigration debate forward. 

Julie Chavez Rodriguez is the Associate Director of Latino Affairs and Immigration for the Office of Public Engagement at the White House.

President Barack Obama and Helen Chávez place a rose at the gravesite of César Chávez before the dedication ceremony for the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, Calif., Oct. 8, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today the President traveled to Keene, California to honor the memory of César Estrada Chávez, by designating the property at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz as a National Monument. Although César Chavez was one of my heroes, he was also my grandfather which made today’s dedication so moving and powerful. La Paz was my grandparents home and the headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) since the early 1970s but to a young child growing up in the farm workers’ movement it was also our playground.  

Growing up in La Paz I spent a lot of time with my grandfather and my grandmother Helen, who still lives on the property. I ran around like any child, playing with my cousins, enjoying the beautiful nature that surrounds it, going on hikes, and even doing Yoga with my grandfather. But I also grew up sitting in on organizing sessions with thousands of farmworkers who prepared for any number of campaigns for basic rights, like clean drinking water, protection from pesticides, or just basic wages. There wasn’t a day I didn’t hear stories from my mom and her sisters about how difficult it was working in the fields when they were younger, so when it became our turn to do our part to support my grandfather, I didn’t think twice.  Often times we’d go for “a drive” with my grandfather and find ourselves spending the day leafleting and knocking on doors to mobilize farmworkers. La Paz was my grandparents’ home, my home, and home to hundreds of volunteers that built the farm workers movement, but I always knew it was so much more than that.

Still, the past week has been a surreal experience. I’ve had the honor of working from inside the White House, as a presidential appointee supporting outreach around the President’s designation of the property as a National Monument. I don’t think the magnitude of this incredible moment entirely sank in when it first became official. I worked for Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in 2011 when La Paz was added to the National Register of Historic Places, but now I’m watching my grandparents’ home join the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, the Grand Canyon and so many other historic sites as a national monument.  It has really crystallized for me how important the work I grew up around truly was.

The monument will be the fourth national monument designated by President Obama using the Antiquities Act. The President previously designated Fort Monroe National Monument in Virginia, a former Army post integral to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military; Fort Ord National Monument in California, a former military base that is a world-class destination for outdoor recreation; and Chimney Rock, which is located in the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado and offers a spectacular landscape rich in history and Native American culture. First exercised by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, the authority of the Antiquities Act has been used by 16 presidents since 1906 to protect unique natural and historic features in America, such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Colorado's Canyons of the Ancients.

To me what’s powerful about today’s designation is also something the President said in his remarks at the ceremony at La Paz. For my grandfather, his life’s work was about people. As the President so eloquently put it today, “more than higher wages or better working conditions, that was Cesar’s gift to us – a reminder that we are all God’s children, that every life has value, and that, in the words of one of his heroes, Dr. King, ‘we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.’” Every single one of his struggles, the leafleting, the marches, the fasts, were about ensuring that hard working, decent people were treated with the dignity and respect that all human beings deserve. He understood that ours is a country founded on the idea that we are all created equal, and he knew that whatever hardship it took, it was nothing compared to the daily struggles of tens of thousands of workers who labored in abhorrent conditions. Those are the values he instilled in the farmworker movement, in the UFW he started together with Dolores Huerta, and that he instilled in his children, and grandchildren.

So I’m proud today. Not only because his life’s work is being recognized in such a powerful way, but because I have the honor of playing a small part in it. And I get to do so as an appointee for a President who lives by the same values, and carries forward the same struggle every single day to make our country a little bit stronger, a little bit closer to what our founders intended it to be, knew it could be. A nation of, by and for the people.

President Barack Obama makes remarks at the dedication ceremony for the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, Calif., Oct. 8, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

You can read the President’s remarks, and find more information from the Department of the Interior on the National Monument.