A new group of business leaders wants to recruit 300 CEOs and 1,000 small businesses in Illinois to push for "common sense" bipartisan immigration reform.
The Illinois Business Immigration Coalition includes leaders from Peoria-based Caterpillar as well as Motorola Solutions, the University of Illinois, trade groups and immigration-rights advocates. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also backs the coalition.
Caterpillar CEO Douglas Oberhelman says the manufacturer has trouble filling both high- and lower-skill jobs and that immigration reform could help.
The coalition is forming as lawmakers in Washington seek to hammer out details of a potential immigration law overhaul. Business and labor leaders last week agreed on a broad outline.