The Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County today endorsed federal immigration policy that creates a pathway to United States citizenship for the estimated 11 million people who have immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico.
The chamber stopped short of endorsing a specific bill before Congress but endorsed the path to citizenship at its Eniace networking event, which was held at the Madison Concourse Hotel.
Julia Arata-Fratta, president of the Latino Chamber, noted that Dane County has more than 400 Latino-owned businesses, the majority of which are owned by immigrants “who are contributing to our local economy.”
Arata-Fratta characterized the Latino Chamber as “pro-growth, pro-business, and pro-immigrant” and stated that current immigration policies are suppressing economic activity.
According to a study by the Immigration Policy Center, Latino-owned businesses in Wisconsin reported $2.4 billion in annual sales, and the state’s Latino population accounts for $6.2 billion in purchases.
