Immigration Reform and AgJOBS: Statement by
UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez on current
U.S. Senate Negotiations, AgJOBS, and S. 2611
California – In response to the first forty eight hours of scheduled negotiations by leaders in the U.S. Senate, UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez issues the following press statement:
“I commend Senator Harry Reid for honoring his commitment to the public by devoting time this week to negotiating and debating comprehensive immigration reform, which includes AgJOBS. I applaud each Senator who showed up to work today with their sleeves rolled up ready to take on the challenge of fixing an immigration system that is broken.
On behalf of farm workers across the country, I encourage the U.S. Senate to continue its negotiations and arrive at an agreement that makes sense for hard working immigrants, especially, farm workers.
Last week, the UFW and its vast network of supporters across the country participated in community actions with the goal of raising awareness about the current negotiations in the U.S Senate. In the states of Arizona, Florida, and Texas we coordinated prayer vigils to encourage Senators to conduct these negotiations in a fair and civil manner. In my personal conversations over the last few days with U.S. Senators from both sides of the aisle, I believe we can and will arrive at some sort of an agreement. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of preserving AgJOBS which will both strengthen the agricultural industry and safeguard the rights of workers and their families.
If for some reason an agreement in the U.S. Senate isn’t reached, I encourage Senators to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 2611, the Senate Immigration Reform Legislation of 2006 which includes AgJOBS. In the absence of any agreement, S. 2611 with amendments is the obvious and most reasonable next step in ensuring that comprehensive immigration reform is enacted this year.”
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