New Congress brings new opportunities to enact historic earned legalization for farm workers
Principle Authors U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Larry Craig (R-ID), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) and the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) reintroduce AgJobs legislation (formerly, S. 359, H.R. 864 in the Senate) to provide earned legalization for immigrant farm laborers nationwide.
Renewing efforts to allow immigrant farm workers the legal right to permanently stay in this country and continue to work in agriculture, Principle Authors U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA.), Larry Craig (R-ID), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) in the U.S. Senate have come together to reintroduce the AgJobs Bill (formerly, S. 359, H.R. 864) and U.S. Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) in the U.S. Congress today. Sponsored by the UFW, this bipartisan measure would provide earned legalization for approximately one million immigrant farm workers who work in the agricultural industry.
“With a change in Congress and in true bipartisanship, there is an opportunity to take the first steps to address our nation’s broken immigration system and provide earned legalization for our nation’s immigrant farm workers,” said Arturo S. Rodriguez, President of the UFW. “The need is great for Congress to begin making real reform, take action, and improve the lives of the very people who perform some of the most important work in this country – feeding America and securing our food supply.”
“Immigrant farm laborers do the hardest and most difficult jobs imaginable in this country,” added Rodriguez. “With champions such as Senators Feinstein, Craig and Kennedy and Representatives Berman and Cannon who have helped to make this legislation even stronger, let us encourage immigrant families to stay together and fully participate in the very society they help feed. The opportunities are within reach to make history and begin the road to full equality for all immigrant families.”
Negotiated for five years between the UFW and the agricultural industry, AgJobs has been endorsed by more than 500 organizations, including business, labor, religious, Latino and immigrant rights group. In May 2005, AgJobs legislation was included in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate.
AgJOBS would allow for undocumented farm workers to earn the right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture for about 3-5 years. In order to be eligible for temporary legal status, a farm worker will need to perform agricultural employment in the United States for 150 work days during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2006. This year, AgJOBS would provide legal status to spouses and children of eligible farm workers.
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