US business chiefs call for immigration reform

Heads of major US companies on Wednesday urged immigration reform as crucial to boosting US economic growth, amid speculation the issue was dead after a shock Republican election defeat. The Business Roundtable, an influential group representing top chief executives, said that fixing America's "broken immigration system" would unleash a powerful force that drives growth and bolsters the business sector. The group issued a report laying out the economic case for immigration reform, which coincidentally landed as Washington political circles reeled from Tuesday's unexpected defeat of Republican Party chieftain Eric Cantor in a Virginia primary election. Cantor, the US House of Representatives majority leader, was trounced by a university professor backed by the radical conservative Tea Party, David Brat, who campaigned against Cantor's support of legislation that would allow the children of illegal immigrants to remain in the country and become US citizens, according to AFP.