YORBA LINDA, CA — The Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) and the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, convened a high-level Immigration & Workforce Roundtable with Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40) and regional business and civic leaders. The discussion highlighted workforce challenges facing local industries and explored sensible immigration solutions that support economic growth and stability.
The roundtable drew leaders from across Orange County and beyond, including:
Janice Lim, Mayor, City of Yorba Linda
Carlos Rodriguez, Mayor Pro Tem, Yorba Linda & Chief Policy Officer, Building Industry Association of Southern California
Carrie Buck, Vice President, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board
Andrea Yamasaki, Vice President, Orange Unified School District & President, Asian Pacific Islander School Board Members Association
Susan Wan-Ross, CEO, Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce
Eddie Marquez, Board Member, Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Juan Carlos Vasquez, Chair of the Board, Tustin Chamber of Commerce
Nikkie Nguyen, Government Affairs Manager, Western Region, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Casey Anderson, Executive Director, Orange County Farm Bureau
A.G. Kawamura, Board Member, Orange County Farm Bureau & Orange County Produce
Hector Barreto, Founder, Barreto Inc. & Former Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration (President George W. Bush)
Plus representatives from education, hospitality, health care, construction, real estate, and small business sectors.
Participants emphasized how workforce shortages and immigration uncertainty are straining local industries, from restaurants and farms to construction and health care. Solutions such as providing legal status for long-time, tax-paying immigrant workers would:
Address critical labor shortages in essential industries
Help stabilize food prices for consumers
Support small business owners and entrepreneurs in hospitality, agriculture, and retail
Strengthen local economies across the nation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was also represented at the discussion, underscoring its support for bipartisan proposals like the DIGNITY Act, recently introduced by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX). In a recent statement, U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley praised the DIGNITY Act as “a constructive step towards strengthening border security, addressing workforce needs, and advancing American innovation and productivity.”
Deputy Executive Director of the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce, Alex Berrios-Hernandez, reflected on the event:
“We discussed critical issues like how the current immigration crisis and uncertainty are impacting our workforce locally. Whether or not the ideas we discussed are ultimately accepted or rejected, they are at least certain to have obtained a hearing — which is an important first step.”
The Yorba Linda Chamber Foundation remains committed to bringing business, education, and civic leaders together to foster dialogue and advance solutions that strengthen the economy and empower the local community.
