Immigration Reform Will Require a Grassroots Effort

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

The agricultural labor shortage continues to be a major issue impacting farmers and consumers across the country. The American Business Immigration Coalition held a press conference discussing immigration. Congressman Mike Simpson spoke during the conference about where the discussion goes from here.

Simpson… “The Judiciary Committee is busy with a lot of things. We need to get them focused on immigration. And it's hard to focus just on ag immigration when what's going on at the border is going on. And we need to let them know that this is different than what's going on at the border right now. And, in fact, passing this would probably help solve some of the problems with what's going on at the border. Republicans are worried about inflation. Studies have been showing that if you get a legal workforce for agriculture. It will help with inflation. It will help with food costs. What agriculture needs is a stable, reliable workforce.”

Simpson said it’s going to take a grassroots effort to get immigration reform passed.

Simpson… “But what we need is a concerted effort by agriculture throughout the country. And remember, we had 300 Ag groups that supported it, and not just Ag groups, but Chambers of Commerce, National Bankers Associations, all supported this bill that we had. We need all of them to be calling representatives on the Judiciary Committee, representatives of leadership in the House and in the Senate, to let them know how important this bill is, and what it means to our food supply, and, as we mentioned, to national security.”

For more information, go to abic.us.