immigration

Agriculture may be waiting a while for the nation to improve the immigration program it relies on to provide farm laborers. President Trump agreed to a two-week postponement of mass deportation of illegal immigrants while asking Congress to work out an agreement on changes to the nation’s asylum laws.  ...

Late Friday, President Trump tweeted he’s suspended plans to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, saying the U.S. and Mexico has reached an agreement on stemming illegal immigration.  The president said Mexican officials “agreed to take strong measures” to cut down on the flow of illegal immigrants traveling through Mexico and entering the U.S.   The move pu...

On Monday, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue sat down with his counterpart from Mexico.  And as Rod Bain points out, immigration was the #1 topic of discussion.     The visit between the Ag secretaries was just one of several meetings between U.S. and Mexican...

Overnight, President Trump announced new tariffs on Mexican imports to the United States.  Late Thursday, the President unveiled the plan, tweeting that in "a little over a week, the U.S. Would be imposing quote a 5% tariff on all goods coming into our country from Mexico, until Illegal migrants coming through Mexico and into our country, stop."  L...

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy is a supporter of President Trump, but not where building a border wall is concerned.   Bundy, who along with his sons became famous their armed standoffs with the federal government, told The Guardian Wednesday that the wall isn't likely to do any good.  Bundy s...

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue applauded the proposed rulemaking from the Department of Labor regarding the H-2A Visa Program.  The proposed new rule would require American employers looking for temporary help to advertise their job openings to domestic workers online, instead of in expensive newspaper ads that reach a limited audience.   ...

Tree fruit growers across Central Washington have expressed frustration, and in some cases outrage, following the comments last week by 8th Congressional seat candidate Dr. Kim Schrier.  During a debate on the CWU campus, Schrier said the H2-A program can lead to a pattern of indentured servitude where a worker is essentially held hostage by a potentially abusive farmer.  ...

The Employment Security Department has proposed a program in which Washington farmer would pay additional fees for using foreign workers.  The ESD said the additional funds would be used to beef up oversight of the H2A program.  It’s estimated that Washington farmers will hire roughly 30,000 foreign workers in 2018.   Accord...

So much attention in Washington D.C. has been over the 2018 Farm Bill, and getting that piece of legislation approved and on to the President by the end of the month.  But, another important topic is waiting in the wings in D.C., and that’s addressing Ag labor needs.   R...

Freedom Caucus members have yet to submit unison support for the House farm bill. The House set a revote deadline for this Friday when the farm bill failed because Democrats and the Freedom Caucus Republicans voted against the measure.   Now, Bloomberg reports some members have not voiced support for the farm bill, including Virginia Republican David Brat, who says “I’m not there yet.” Brat would