OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of Republican leaders in Oklahoma is joining a coalition of business and manufacturing groups from across the country in urging Congress to pass immigration reform they say is vital to the nation's economy.
Former Oklahoma House Speaker Kris Steele and ex-Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating both are participating in calling for Congress and President Barack Obama to work together to enact federal legislation on immigration.
Among the group's goals are increasing opportunities for immigrants to enter the U.S. workforce and for foreign students to remain in the country to work. The coalition also wants to streamline the process for employers to hire immigrant workers and to establish a path to legal status for those workers who are currently living in the country.