NIU President Doug Baker and College of Law student Irakere Picon are among the speakers Wednesday, Oct. 16, during a panel discussion in support of common sense immigration reform.
Hosted by the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, NIU alum and Illinois State Rep. Joe Sosnowski and NIU, the forum is designed to foster a solutions-oriented conversation among leaders of the local business and education communities at this critical moment in the national debate on immigration reform.
“Moving Us Forward: Illinois Voices for Immigration Reform” takes place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Belvidere Community Building Complex, 111 W. First St. in Belvidere.Other speakers include Harry Alten, chairman of Illinois Specialty Growers Association, and Ben Taylor, director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-Great Lakes Region.
Additional speakers from the local business community also are expected to join in the conversation.
Baker participated in a similar forum Aug. 27 in Naperville, where he focused on the importance of immigration reform as it relates to education.
“We have more than a million undocumented students in America. Each year, 65,000 of them graduate from high school, yet only 5 to 10 percent of undocumented students go on to college,” Baker told the audience. “What a waste of resources. What a cycle of poverty we create.”
IBIC promotes common sense immigration reform that supports the economic recovery of Illinois, provides Illinois companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into the state’s economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and citizens.
For more information on the forum, call (773) 614-9668 or email rpadilla@illinoisbic.biz.
