The Journal Record (OK): Opinion: Enhancing legal immigration pays dividends

It’s time for Americans to rethink the stigmatized dialogue surrounding immigration.

With the often inflammatory rhetoric that tends to surround this issue, the value that immigrants bring to the business interests in our country is lost in the noise. Many of our national leaders, including President Donald Trump, are considered strong businessmen yet even they fail to acknowledge the economic power of immigrants from many nations.

As the president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, I know how much the hospitality community relies on immigrants, and so do the statistics. According to New American Economy, here in Oklahoma 20 percent of our hotel workers are immigrants. Approximately 7,000 housekeepers are immigrants, and 32 percent of food preparation workers and cooks are immigrants.

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