Oklahoma coalition calls for national immigration reform

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A coalition of business and community leaders in Oklahoma is calling on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Supporters launched the Reasons to Reform campaign Tuesday as part of a national effort to encourage Congress to work toward simplifying citizenship guidelines and creation of a guest worker program.

Republican state Sen. Brian Crain, whose Tulsa district includes a large Hispanic population, says the nation's immigration system is broken.

American Farmers and Ranchers president Terry Detrick says the current system actually encourages illegal immigration in the state because citizenship is difficult to achieve.

Statistics provided by the group indicate that immigrants make up 5.7 percent of Oklahoma's population and contribute $1.1 billion in taxes to the state. In 2014, immigrants earned $4.2 billion, more than 4 percent of all earnings.