05/21/08 Immigration Issues

Immigration Issues. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Once again the issue of immigration is coming to the forefront. California Senator Dianne Feinstein and Idaho's Senator Larry Craig have introduced legislation that would revamp part of the H2A program to benefit experienced workers. The Emergency Agriculture Relief Act would grant temporary worker status to more than one million agricultural employees, for up to five years. It would not grant them citizenship, but would allow those with a recent history of farm employment to remain in their jobs without fear of deportation. Feinstein said this amendment has been negotiated with growers and farm workers. It is supported by the American Farm Bureau, the United Farm Workers, and dozens of organizations across the nation. Virtually every farm organization in the United States is in support of this legislation. Indeed, many groups are backing the EARA like the dairy industry. Bob Nearebout of the Idaho Dairymen's Association. NEAREBOUT: For dairy producers or anybody else that's hiring somebody on a twelve month period there's not one immigration program to go to say here's how you can bring in foreign labor. While the Senate is hoping to address the issue this week Ciaran Clayton with Washington Senator Maria Cantwell's office feels that the issue will probably not make it through before the Memorial break and even then doubts that anything will be done before the end of the year. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.