The Sunlight Foundation says that over the last five years more than 3,100 lobbyists registered to work members of Congress on immigration — a figure that underscores the big stakes involved both ideologically and economically.
“The companies they represent range from firms seeking high-tech workers to agribusinesses in search of farm workers. And even though there has been no serious effort to enact a major immigration reform bill since 2010, the lobbyists have been working the hallways of Congress out of the national spotlight to push for their clients’ interests,” wrote Sunlight reporter Anupama Narayanswamy.
Technology companies, pushing for more foreign workers, have led the way, with Microsoft having hired 68 lobbyists to work on immigration issues since 2008.
