November 14, 2013
Rep. Takano Reads Letters from Local Inland Empire Residents and Businesses on House Floor
Washington DC – Yesterday, Rep. Mark Takano took to the floor of the House of Representatives and read from several letters from local Inland Empire residents about the broken immigration system and how it has affected their lives.
Two of the letters read by Rep. Takano were from local children and another was from a local wife and mother. The letters detailed their struggles with the broken immigration system and how it has resulted in the separation of their families.
Rep. Takano also read a letter from the Blue Banner Company, a local shipper and grower of California Citrus. The letter detailed the difficulties of a recent crop of theirs when they faced a 30-35 percent labor shortage, which resulted in a financial loss for their growers.
(click to watch)
“I also received a letter from a wife and mother saying, ‘I myself am one of those many families that unfortunately have to go through this injustice. My husband was deported on his way to work about three years ago, and during these few years, it has been really hard for my new five year old daughter and me. The stress I go through every day is unhealthy and unfortunately, my daughter has to go through it as well. My daughter really wants to be with her father and it really hurts to see her have to go through this situation.’
These are American families that we can help by passing immigration reform.
The last letter I would like to read is from one of the largest employers in my district, the Blue Banner Company, a grower and shipper of California citrus. They wrote to me and detailed the difficulties of a recent crop of theirs when they faced a 30-35 percent labor shortage. Because of the labor shortage, less fruit was harvested from the trees in a timely manner. Because the fruit was harvested not at peak time, it was sent to be juiced, instead of sold fresh for eating by consumers. This resulted in a total loss for their growers of $3.4 to $3.8 million. The letter goes on to say, ‘we, California agriculture, desperately need a legal work force from which to hire.’”
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