Changes Made to H-2C Immigration Bill

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

A bill proposed by Virginia Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte would scrap the current H-2A program which is partly controlled by the U.S. Labor Department. It would institute an H-2C program that would be overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Goodlatte has made several amendments to the legislation after listening to concerns from ag groups. A Milk Business Dot Com …

Farm Leaders Pressing for Action on Immigration Reform

Dan Labor and Immigration

While immigration reform bills failed in the Senate last week, farm leaders are pressing for House action to include agricultural workers. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is urging lawmakers to get behind a bid by House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte to include the AG Act in his broader immigration reform bill. Farm Leaders Pressing for Action on Immigration Reform …

E-Verify Requirement Sought in Florida

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

Florida businesses would have to verify through the federal government that newly hired employees aren’t undocumented immigrants, under a measure that moved closer Tuesday to appearing before voters in 2018 despite opposition from agriculture interests. A panel of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission unanimously backed a proposal (P 29) that would require all employers in Florida to use the U.S. …

Survey Shows Impacts Immigration Policy has on Agriculture

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

A survey recently released by the California Farm Bureau shows immigration policy still harms agriculture in the same capacity as seen in a similar survey in 2012. The informal survey showed that more than half of responding farmers had experienced employee shortages during the past year. California Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger says the worker shortage impacts farm operations. Wenger …

Newhouse: AG Act a Good Step Forward

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

Representative Dan Newhouse says while many of the details have yet to be worked out, legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte is an important first step to address ag’s labor shortage. The Republican from Virginia introduced the American Guestworker Act, or AG Act, which would replace the H-2A program with a new, flexible and market-driven guestworker program designed to meet …

Goodlatte Guest Worker Bill Up for Committee Vote Wednesday

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

A committee vote is planned Wednesday (Oct. 4) for the agriculture guestworker revamp bill in the House of Representatives. Virginia Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte introduced the bill Monday, and vowed to push for a “tight timetable.” The bill, according to Politico, would essentially scrap H-2A in its current form, rename the visa program H-2C and house it within the Department …

AG Sessions Says Deportation to Focus on Felons, not Farm Workers

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

The Western Growers Association says recent comments by Attorney General Jeff Sessions indicate the Justice Department will focus on deporting felons, not farm workers. Sessions recently told Fox News the Justice Department does not intend to target illegal immigrants who have not committed crimes beyond illegally entering the country. Western Growers Association CEO Tom Nassif called the comments encouraging. Nassif …