TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A coalition of Kansas business groups is proposing a new program to keep some illegal immigrants in the state so that they could hold jobs in industries with labor shortages.
The coalition includes agriculture groups and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, and representatives said Tuesday that their proposal will help immigrants who've been in the U.S. at least five years and have committed no more than one misdemeanor offense.
Coalition representatives provided a draft of their proposed legislation to The Associated Press ahead of its introduction in the House and Senate.
Under the new program, businesses would pay fees to tap a pool of immigrant workers. The state would support the workers' requests for federal authorization to keep working in the U.S., despite their status.
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