Opposition to Ag Workforce Bill Growing

While House Republican leaders grapple over whether or not to hold a vote on the ag guest-worker program, Western Growers and the California Farm Bureau are strongly opposed to the bill.  Western Growers is the largest representative of the fruit and vegetable growers in the country.

The Hagstrom Report says the new H-2C program would be for both seasonal and permanent employers but would also require them to use the E-Verify System to make sure workers are in the country legally. Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers, says the provisions would actually constrict rather than expand the supply of immigrant workers in the country. He said the bill would “enact E-Verify without providing adequate protections for existing farm workers or properly ensuring a sufficient flow of future guest workers.”

A touchback provision in the bill would require workers in the country illegally to identify themselves, leave the country, and hope they get new visas. Western Growers and the California Farm Bureau say that’s a non-starter.

The two organizations did say that several of the bill’s provisions represent an improvement over the current system. However, they say the imposition of a cap would severely restrict farmers’ access to an adequate supply of employees.

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