LIA partners with Silicon Valley business group

Long Island's largest business organization has joined forces with a Silicon Valley group to push for certain immigration reforms as debate over the issue heats up in Congress.

The Long Island Association and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group sent a jointly penned letter to New York and California senators outlining their support of expanding the number of highly-skilled immigrants that enter the country on an H-1B visa and immigrants that could further the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields in the United States.

The LIA had sent a letter outlining its support for the same issues in February, but partnered with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group -- which is a trade group focused on the economic health of Silicon Valley -- in hopes of making more of an impact from both coasts.

Immigration is the first issue the two business groups have come together to lobby for, but there could be opportunities in the future for the two organizations to join their voices again because of the similar demographics of the two areas, said Matt Cohen, a spokesman for the LIA.