Akron Reporter

Akron, Ohio — On June 5, the United States Conference of Mayors adopted a bipartisan resolution sponsored by Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, South Bend Mayor James Mueller, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, and Mesa Mayor John Giles calling on federal policymakers to create a “Heartland Visa,” which would help to reinvigorate communities and boost local economies nationwide by attracting more skilled immigrants and immigrant founders.

“Immigrants have long been a key part of the fabric of Akron’s economy, but federal immigration policy is falling short when it comes to communities like ours,” said Mayor Horrigan. “Mayors are united in their desire for Congress to do more to help attract talented and entrepreneurial immigrants to welcoming communities across the country like Akron, where they strengthen our local economy and help to generate opportunity for our residents.”

Wherever they settle, highly skilled immigrants contribute to the local tax base, start new businesses, and create jobs for local residents—all of which are crucial to communities in need of economic revitalization. Federal immigration policy, however, currently channels an outsized portion of highly skilled immigrants to America’s largest, fastest-growing, and most prosperous cities. A Heartland Visa program would help a wider array of cities attract skilled immigrants to boost economic development, strengthen their workforce, and fuel local innovation and entrepreneurship.

Immigrants contribute billions of dollars to the Ohio economy each year and fill critical jobs in industries such as health care and manufacturing. To learn more about the critical role of skilled immigration for local economic development, you can view the text of the US Conference of Mayors resolution here. 

Original source can be found here.