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We wanted to share with you a brief update of what has been happening on immigration reform for farmworkers.

Senate Judiciary Committee Mark-Up
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee continues to debate and mark-up (process of offering amendments to the bill) the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, S. 744, which was cosponsored by the bipartisan “Gang of Eight.” We are pleased that S. 744 includes the agricultural immigration compromise that was reached after months of difficult negotiations led by Senators Feinstein, Bennet, Rubio and Hatch between agricultural representatives and the United Farm Workers. We are following the mark-up closely to help ensure that the delicate agricultural compromise is not adversely impacted and to help our friends and allies ensure that other provisions of the bill, such as the roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million, remain accessible and meaningful. The Senate Judiciary Committee mark-up is expected to be completed by the end of next week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is proceeding through the mark-up by bill titles and today it plans to complete Title IV and begin the employment verification amendments to Title III. Title IV is the title addressing reforms to nonimmigrant visa programs, which includes the newly created “W” worker program for low-skilled occupations (not to be confused with the new nonimmigrant agricultural visa program, which provides workers a W3 or W4 visa, and is located in Title II along with the farmworker legalization program). Title III addresses a variety of interior enforcement issues, including e-verify, asylee/refugee issues, immigration crime issues, and protections to prevent trafficking and international labor recruitment issues. On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee completed its mark-up of Title I, addressing border security and began work on Title IV. The Senate Judiciary Committee webpage includes a list of all amendments which were debated on Tuesday.

Farmworker Justice has reviewed all of the amendments, with a focus on amendments that are particularly important to farmworkers or to our broader goals of an accessible and meaningful legalization program for the 11 million and fair treatment of workers. Several of the proposed amendments would harm farmworkers. Some amendments raise issues that, however valid, were considered during the negotiations by the “Gang of Eight” and will be rejected to avoid upsetting the delicate compromise.

House Judiciary Committee Hearing
Also today, the House Judiciary subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security will hold a hearing titled “HR 1773, the “’Agricultural Guestworker Act.’” HR 1773 is a harsh one-sided guestworker program that would slash farmworker wages and protections without offering current farmworkers a path to immigration status. It represents an attempt by restrictionists to try a piecemeal one-sided approach to a complex problem that must be addressed comprehensively and rationally. UFW President Arturo Rodriguez will be testifying along with Lee Wicker of the North Carolina Growers Association; Christopher Gaddis of JBS, USA Holdings, Inc, JBS self-described as the largest animal protein processor in the world; and John Graham, of Graham and Rollins, Inc, one of the largest crab processors on the East Coast and longtime H-2B user. The witness testimony will be available online.