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The Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce issued a call to action Tuesday, urging the owners of small businesses and corporations to launch an aggressive grass-roots effort and push for passage of new immigration laws by August.

Chamber President Tomás León challenged the business community to impress that message upon their state and congressional representatives in person, by phone, and through e-mail and fax.

"We have a piece of legislation that's come forward and has promise," León said about the so-called STRIVE Act. The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act, recently introduced in Congress, seeks more enforcement, a guest-worker program and a chance for eligible illegal entrants to apply for legal residence after paying fines and meeting other conditions.

While not perfect, the legislation "is a good place for us to start to keep moving this forward and get this thing passed this year," León said at a news conference.

Rather than focus on illegal immigration as it did last year, León said, the chamber wants "to change the conversation and focus on legal immigration."

He was flanked by several business owners, including some in the janitorial, construction and health-care industries. The businesspeople spoke of the need to increase the pool of legal U.S. workers to offset intermittent shortages.

Martin Headlee, owner of Headlee Roofing Co., said Congress must approve an immigration package before talk of next year's election eclipses the debate.

"We believe that something needs to be done," said Headlee, adding that his company employs 110 people.

Bill Valenzuela, the owner of WG Valenzuela Drywall Inc., echoed Headlee's call for changes in immigration policy.

"We need it very, very bad — it's getting nasty out there," he said.

Later, Valenzuela acknowledged that while the construction industry is known for employing illegal workers, his company thoroughly checks the authenticity of Social Security cards against a federal database.

But the system is fallible, he said, noting that some years ago, immigration authorities picked up one or two illegal workers from among his roughly 300 employees. Investigators ordered him to fire another 14 who may have been using counterfeit documents, he said.

The were all members of an extended family, "and some of my best workers," Valenzuela said.

He said he favors an immigration plan that would allow to stay those who have lived here illegally for 15 years or more. A guest worker also would help increase the labor pool and benefit the economy, he said.

Fernando Gonzales, director of operations for Janco Janitorial, said businesses are caught in the middle of the contentious immigration debate.

"On the one hand, we're trying to grow, and on the other hand, Immigration is trying to put pressure on us," he said.

The janitorial company, which employs 55 people, said effective immigration policies would benefit an industry that is plagued by worker shortages.

"It's a myth that immigrants take away jobs," he said.

Even though his company had paid a starting wage of $7 before the minimum wage went up, it still has had trouble finding workers.

"A lot of people are not willing to do this kind of work," he said. "That's just the bottom line."

Bill Pike, director of public policy and community affairs for Carondelet Health Network, said the recent passage of state laws intended to clamp down on illegal immigration are having a clear impact.

"We hear stories of families who maybe are aware of programs that could help children who are eligible, but who are scared to come forward," he said.

Regardless of where they were born, people who need health care must receive it — which in turn could avoid public-health risks, he said.

Also Tuesday, the Hispanic chamber issued a position paper on immigration policy that addresses border and national security; a guest-worker program and increased visa quotas; a streamlined citizenship process and access to education; and multinational economic development partnerships.