05/23/07 Looking At Immigration Reform

Looking at Immigration Reform. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Last week we talked to Bruce Grim with the Washington Apple Growers Marketing Association and US Apple as he was preparing for a trip to Washington DC with other ag industry officials in support of immigration reform. He's pleased with the outcome but is cautious. GRIM: Well surprisingly they did come up with a compromise plan, compromise programs so that in itself is encouraging but of course the longer in my mind that it runs on the more targets for oppositions to specific provisions and you start nit-picking this thing, first thing you know you don't have an agreement anymore. The new proposal includes a new type of visa, back taxes, a fine and something called a touchback where illegal immigrants have to return to their home country before reapplying for work status in the U.S. Grim says these things are important but he thinks it's really important that the Senate is at least dealing with the issue. GRIM: I think those are all issues, some of the trigger provisions don't apply to agriculture which is good, we don't have to wait for all the enforcement on the border issues so as I said, how the whole thing fleshes out probably to me matters less about the specifics right now than the mere fact that the Senate is working toward a measure. In my mind it's much more important that we come up with a measure out of the Senate and fortunately there has been some agreement on one right now but it's critically important that we have a measure. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.