White House Issues Report on Agriculture and Immigration Policy

Last week the Executive Office of the President released the report, “Fixing Our Broken Immigration System: The Economic Benefits to Agriculture and Rural Communities.” The report illustrates farmworkers’ important role in our nation’s agricultural success and the ways in which immigration reform with a path to citizenship would boost productivity and strengthen rural communities. The report provides valuable information demonstrating the contributions farmworkers make to their local communities, economies and our nation as a whole. For example, it states that net farm income in 2013 is expected to reach $128.2 billion – the highest level since 1973, after adjusting for inflation. In addition, our trade balance has benefited from farmworkers as the value of our exports of labor-intensive commodities has reached record-breaking levels. The report also demonstrates the need for immigration reform with a path to citizenship and a viable temporary worker visa program that includes needed worker protections.

The White House report touts the benefits of a path to citizenship to the farmworkers themselves. The agricultural stakeholder agreement in the Senate immigration reform bill, S. 744 would provide farmworkers and their families with needed security to invest in their own skills and education and in their local communities. Providing an opportunity for undocumented workers to earn legal immigration status would also help alleviate exploitative treatment of farmworkers in the workplace. The report cites to studies indicating that legalization would “improve worker productivity and ultimately result in higher average wages for all workers…Ensuring every farmworker is paid a fair and decent wage will revitalize rural economies so that Americans can continue to contribute to our 21st century economy from our nation’s rural landscapes.”

It is important to note that the White House relies on a particularly low estimate of the total number of farmworkers (1.1 million). Farmworker Justice and others have more confidence in studies that estimate there to be 2.0 to 2.4 million farmworkers. Most observers agree that more than 50% of farmworkers lack immigration status.

The report concludes with statements from key agriculture and rural stakeholders, including statements from Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice; Arturo Rodriguez, President of United Farm Workers; and several major growers’ associations, expressing support for the agriculture provisions of S. 744 and urging the House to take action.
 

Last week the Executive Office of the President released the report, “Fixing Our Broken Immigration System: The Economic Benefits to Agriculture and Rural Communities.” The report illustrates farmworkers’ important role in our nation’s agricultural success and the ways in which immigration reform with a path to citizenship would boost productivity and strengthen rural communities. The report provides valuable information demonstrating the contributions farmworkers make to their local communities, economies and our nation as a whole. For example, it states that net farm income in 2013 is expected to reach $128.2 billion – the highest level since 1973, after adjusting for inflation. In addition, our trade balance has benefited from farmworkers as the value of our exports of labor-intensive commodities has reached record-breaking levels. The report also demonstrates the need for immigration reform with a path to citizenship and a viable temporary worker visa program that includes needed worker protections.

The White House report touts the benefits of a path to citizenship to the farmworkers themselves. The agricultural stakeholder agreement in the Senate immigration reform bill, S. 744 would provide farmworkers and their families with needed security to invest in their own skills and education and in their local communities. Providing an opportunity for undocumented workers to earn legal immigration status would also help alleviate exploitative treatment of farmworkers in the workplace. The report cites to studies indicating that legalization would “improve worker productivity and ultimately result in higher average wages for all workers…Ensuring every farmworker is paid a fair and decent wage will revitalize rural economies so that Americans can continue to contribute to our 21st century economy from our nation’s rural landscapes.”

It is important to note that the White House relies on a particularly low estimate of the total number of farmworkers (1.1 million). Farmworker Justice and others have more confidence in studies that estimate there to be 2.0 to 2.4 million farmworkers. Most observers agree that more than 50% of farmworkers lack immigration status.

The report concludes with statements from key agriculture and rural stakeholders, including statements from Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice; Arturo Rodriguez, President of United Farmworkers of America; and several major growers’ associations, expressing support for the agriculture provisions of S. 744 and urging the House to take action.