02-05-2025
Horse Racing Industry Urges Action On Immigration Reform To Address Labor Shortages
On Thursday, horse racing leaders gathered in Louisville to highlight the need for immediate action on immigration reform, emphasizing President Trump's recent comments to create a legal process for farm workers and hotel workers.'From hot walkers to exercise riders, groomers, and farriers, skilled immigrant workers are the backbone of the horse racing industry. Their contributions help generate $177 billion for the American economy and are crucial to the Kentucky Derby's success every year, but the immigration system is failing them. We support President Trump's comment about creating a legal process for law-abiding farm workers to contribute and grow the horse racing industry for decades to come,' said ABIC CEO Rebecca Shi.
'Horses can't get on the track without the right workers behind them. Seventy-eight percent of backstretch workers are immigrants; the industry cannot survive without them. We are prepared to work with President Trump and Congress and to be at the table to create a legal process for the farming and equine industries,' said Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association President Dale Romans.'As the largest Thoroughbred horsemen's organization, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association remains committed to prioritizing American workers whenever possible, recognizing that immigrant workers are also essential to our growth. We need lawmakers to prioritize legislation to streamline legal status for this population, and we are eager to partner with the President and Congress,' said National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Eric Hamelback.
'The Derby is the culmination of months of tireless work and preparation to deliver one of the finest events in the world. We have a real opportunity to make meaningful progress toward commonsense immigration reform that can protect the livelihoods of our horse trainers and our industry at large,' said Oscar Gonzales, Vice Chairman, California Horse Racing Board.'The immigration process is unnecessarily complex and bureaucratic. Federal immigration policy needs to meet the needs of the moment, and the horse racing industry desperately needs skilled workers to ensure its success,' said equine immigration attorney Will Velie.'President Trump's recent comments indicating a desire to create a more streamlined process for agricultural workers is much needed to ensure our industry can thrive. We now call on Congress to prioritize action to not just talk about immigration reform, but actually do something to create meaningful change,' said General Manager of Monterey Mushrooms Joe Stave.
Immigrants make up 72% of the workforce behind agriculture's $1.5+ trillion industry. Latinos and immigrants are 78% of Equine's backstretch workers and 70% jockeys. Senator Bennet's 2023 Affordable and Secure Food Act included a path to legal status for farm workers including equine industry as well as modernizing the H2A visa Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) is a bipartisan coalition of 1,700+ CEOs, business owners, and trade associations across 17 mostly red and purple states. ABIC promotes common sense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with the talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and citizens.
