Colo. governor: Laws stopping immigrant workers

The governor of Colorado says his state is hurting because seasonal workers are not able to work there now. Some ski resorts could have stayed open longer last year if they had had moreworkers. A new guest worker program could be the solution. DP

MSNBC By IVAN MORENO, Associated Press

DENVER - Fewer immigrant workers are coming to Colorado because of tougher state laws, but the agricultural, ski and hotel industries are having a tougher time finding seasonal workers, Gov. Bill Ritter said Thursday.

Without citing statistics, Ritter said employers around the state complain they face worker shortages because of laws passed in 2006 to fight illegal immigration. He said efforts to fortify guest worker programs would offer a solution.

"I quite frankly think that one of the people who understood this issue best in public life was (President) George Bush," Ritter said. "George Bush had a real desire to tackle this issue."

Ritter noted that federal changes to seasonal worker visas means ski resort employees are losing their visas sooner. Anecdotally, he said Vail could have stayed open another month last year if its guest workers had lengthier visas.

At a minimum, Ritter said, successful immigration policy would "bring illegal immigrants out of the shadows."

"Find a way to acknowledge their existence here and the fact they're employed and contributing to the economy," he said.
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