Press
Below are our latest press releases on important news events relating to policy changes and issues affecting farmworkers and their families.
2013 Press Releases
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New Farmworker Justice Report Profiles Americans Working in AgricultureJune 18, 2013
A new report profiling American farmworkers and their stories dispels the myth that U.S. workers do not take jobs as farmworkers. The report titled, "Who Works the Fields? The Stories of Americans Who Feed Us" offers a sampling of stories from both U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents working on farms. Although a majority of farmworkers today are undocumented immigrants, there are hundreds of thousands of legally authorized U.S. -
Farmworker Justice Statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee Passing S.744May 22, 2013The Senate Judiciary Committee finished debating and amending the immigration bill drafted by the Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight.” The Committee then voted to approve and send to the floor of the Senate the amended version of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, S.744.Related Downloads:
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Agricultural Guestworker Act Would Harm Farmworkers and Aggravate Existing Problems in Agricultural LaborMay 16, 2013Following a subcommittee hearing of the House Judiciary Committee focused on the implications of H.R. 1773, the “Agricultural Guestworker Act,” sponsored by Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein made the following statement: “This bill will only serve to magnify the dysfunction in our current system and deserves no serious consideration.
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Rep. Goodlatte’s Immigration Bill Undermines Bipartisan Compromise and Would Harm FarmworkersApril 26, 2013Following the introduction of a the Agricultural Guestworker Act by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein made the following statement: “Despite widespread recognition of the need for comprehensive reform legislation to fix our broken immigration system, Rep. Goodlatte has offered piecemeal legislation that will only aggravate the unfairness and dysfunction in our current system.
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Immigration Reform Proposal Includes Important Protections for FarmworkersApril 22, 2013Following a hearing today of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following statement: “We are encouraged by the framework of the Senate bill that would fix our nation’s broken immigration policies and provide a path to citizenship for farmworkers and their families.
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Immigration Policy Reform Should Respect Rights of U.S. FarmworkersApril 17, 2013Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following statement following the introduction of the Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 that would reform U.S. immigration policy: “We are optimistic about the framework of this agreement and applaud the bipartisan work in the Senate to fix our nation’s broken immigration policies.Related Downloads:
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Farmworker Justice Statement on Agreement Regarding Agricultural Worker Piece of Immigration ReformApril 12, 2013Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following statement following the announcement of the broad outline of an agreement among a key group of Senators, agricultural employers and the United Farm Workers on provisions that are expected to be included in a comprehensive immigration bill and would reform U.S. immigration policy regarding farmworkers: “As details for an agreement continue to emerge, we will review the proposal.
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Farmworker Justice Welcomes First Senate Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration ReformFebruary 13, 2013Farmworker Justice praises the Senate Judiciary Committee for moving forward with a hearing to address the issue of immigration reform. Farmworker Justice urged the Senate to act quickly to pass legislation to reform our broken immigration system and create a roadmap to citizenship for eleven million aspiring Americans, including many of the workers on our farms and ranches.
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Farmworker Justice Praises President Obama’s Commitment to Pass Immigration ReformJanuary 29, 2013Farmworker Justice, a national advocacy organization for the rights of farmworkers, today praised President Barack Obama’s call to action on immigration reform.Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice, made the following statement:"With the announcement yesterday of a bipartisan group of Senators and today’s speech by President Obama, momentum is building to pass immigration reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship.Our nation depends on the hard labor of farmworkers to cultivate and harvest our crops.
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Farmworker Justice Statement on Bipartisan Senate Immigration PrinciplesJanuary 28, 2013Farmworker Justice commends efforts by eight Senators to reach an immigration policy solution that would grant a road map to citizenship for eleven million undocumented people in this country. "After years of delay that have harmed farmworkers and their families, we see the potential for positive immigration reform but recognize that much work lies ahead to achieve legislation that respects the people who grow and harvest our fruits and vegetables," said Farmworker Justice’s President Bruce Goldstein.Related Downloads:
Letters to the Editor and OpEds
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Farmworker Justice's NY Times Letter to the Editor: Deplorable Labor Practices of Some U.S. FarmersMay 14, 2013Read Article: Original New York Times Link“U.S. Workers Sue as Big Farms Rely on Immigrants” (front page, May 7), about race bias on farms in Georgia, unveils the self-serving stereotypes many farmers use as a justification for deplorable labor practices.Guest workers’ “nonimmigrant” status allows growers to abuse guest workers to protect their bottom lines, an option generally not available to other private employers. These programs serve as a barrier for domestic agricultural workers while depressing wages and working conditions for the entire work force.Related Downloads: