12/14/05 Immigration reform mired in politics

Twelve percent of the US population today is made up of immigrants, both legal and illegal. The Center for Immigration Studies report says there are more than 35 million foreign born people now living in the United States, nearly eight million of them coming in the past five years. The report comes as the US House prepares to take up legislation to improve border security. Senator Larry Craig says it will be early next year before the Senate deals with immigration reform. CRAIG  "At which time I and others will work very hard to rewrite the law that allows a legal foreign national labor force into this country whether it be for agriculture or service related jobs." While the report says immigration is booming Craig believes that security on the US-Mexican border has tightened and fewer people are coming into the US illegally. CRAIG "And right now there is a substantial shortage in labor in the green vegetable crops being harvested in Southern California and Arizona, in the Christmas tree industry, in the landscape industry as this moment. I understand that in places in Idaho in fresh pack after harvest not all lines are running because they couldn't find laborers." Craig says he can't support President Bush's proposed reform legislation because of the guest worker provisions in it. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott