Farmworker Justice Immigration Reform Update 10/18/13
President Obama Calls on the House to Move Forward on Immigration Reform
With the federal government open again and our country’s budget issues largely put off until early next year, the House has an opportunity to move forward on immigration reform. In press conferences announcing the end of the government shutdown, President Obama called for cooperation in the House to pass comprehensive immigration reform next. Some House members, however, are looking for excuses to avoid immigration reform. Fortunately, many House members in both parties are calling for action on immigration, including Rep. Amodei (R-NV), as reported in the Las Vegas Sun. He and Rep. Heck (R-NV) are reportedly working on legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
The resolution of the government shutdown has opened up space on the legislative calendar. With the House in session for 2 weeks in November and 2 weeks in December, there is plenty of time to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. Once we get into 2014, timing could get more difficult due to deadlines in January and February for votes to fund the government and lift the debt ceiling. Then the House Members begin the primary season for the 2014 election; passing immigration reform close to an election can be challenging. Some pundits, however, have predicted that once incumbents are able to gauge what their primary race will look like, many Republicans may be willing to address immigration reform.
Of course, whether and when the House takes up immigration legislation will depend in part on the efforts around the country to demand that Members of the House pass comprehensive and fair immigration reform. The United Farm Workers action alert calling for immigration reform can be accessed here.
Agricultural Stakeholder Compromise Included in House Bill
HR 15, the House version of the Senate immigration reform bill, which includes the agriculture stakeholder agreement negotiated by the UFW and the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, has been introduced. Although the Senate bill was a bipartisan compromise, this bill’s 182 cosponsors are Democrats, who are trying to get Republican cosponsors. However, most Republicans are focused on working on immigration reform in pieces.
Over 200 Groups Oppose Goodlatte's Agricultural Guestworker Act
Farmworker Justice and the United Farm Workers sent to the House a sign-on letter in which over 200 organizations oppose Rep. Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, HR 1773. National organizations are listed alphabetically first, then state and local organizations are listed by state. Farmworker Justice and the United Farm Workers circulated the letter to all House offices and sent out a press release as well. The EFE Spanish-language newswire published an article on the sign-on letter that was published by several media outlets. Thank you again to all who supported farmworkers by joining the letter and sharing it with your networks. For more information on Rep. Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, visit our website.
UFW & Central Valley Growers Delivered Almost 8,000 Letters Calling for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to Republican Whip McCarthy’s Office
The UFW and Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, delivered letters on Wednesday to Rep. McCarthy’s Bakersfield office. As Republican Whip, McCarthy is the third highest ranking Republican in the House, and he represents a key California agricultural district. The letters asked McCarthy to use his leadership position to urge members of Congress to vote for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals in the U.S. and the agricultural stakeholder agreement negotiated by the UFW and the Agricultural Workforce Coalition.
Farmworker Justice & the Northwest Justice Project Settle Lawsuit on Behalf of H-2A Sheepherders
Chilean sheepherders on H-2A temporary agricultural visas filed the lawsuit against their direct employer, Washington rancher Max Fernandez, and the Western Range Association, for violations of labor and human trafficking laws. The Western Range Association represents over 200 sheep ranchers and provides services such as recruiting workers from abroad. A federal court found the Western Range Association to jointly employ, with the rancher, the workers and therefore jointly responsible for complying with labor laws, marking an important victory for sheepherders. The companies and the workers then settled; the three workers received $110,000 and attorneys’ fees. Hopefully, the court’s ruling and the settlement of claims will provide Western Range and similar associations with a strong incentive to educate their agricultural employer members on the law and take steps to ensure compliance with the law. The case is also a timely reminder of the abuses that occur under guestworker programs.
President Obama Calls on the House to Move Forward on Immigration Reform
With the federal government open again and our country’s budget issues largely put off until early next year, the House has an opportunity to move forward on immigration reform. In press conferences announcing the end of the government shutdown, President Obama called for cooperation in the House to pass comprehensive immigration reform next. Some House members, however, are looking for excuses to avoid immigration reform. Fortunately, many House members in both parties are calling for action on immigration, including Rep. Amodei (R-NV), as reported in the Las Vegas Sun. He and Rep. Heck (R-NV) are reportedly working on legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
The resolution of the government shutdown has opened up space on the legislative calendar. With the House in session for 2 weeks in November and 2 weeks in December, there is plenty of time to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. Once we get into 2014, timing could get more difficult due to deadlines in January and February for votes to fund the government and lift the debt ceiling. Then the House Members begin the primary season for the 2014 election; passing immigration reform close to an election can be challenging. Some pundits, however, have predicted that once incumbents are able to gauge what their primary race will look like, many Republicans may be willing to address immigration reform.
Of course, whether and when the House takes up immigration legislation will depend in part on the efforts around the country to demand that Members of the House pass comprehensive and fair immigration reform. The United Farm Workers action alert calling for immigration reform can be accessed here.
Agricultural Stakeholder Compromise Included in House Bill
HR 15, the House version of the Senate immigration reform bill, which includes the agriculture stakeholder agreement negotiated by the UFW and the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, has been introduced. Although the Senate bill was a bipartisan compromise, this bill’s 182 cosponsors are Democrats, who are trying to get Republican cosponsors. However, most Republicans are focused on working on immigration reform in pieces.
Over 200 Groups Oppose Goodlatte's Agricultural Guestworker Act
Farmworker Justice and the United Farm Workers sent to the House a sign-on letter in which over 200 organizations oppose Rep. Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, HR 1773. National organizations are listed alphabetically first, then state and local organizations are listed by state. Farmworker Justice and the United Farm Workers circulated the letter to all House offices and sent out a press release as well. The EFE Spanish-language newswire published an article on the sign-on letter that was published by several media outlets. Thank you again to all who supported farmworkers by joining the letter and sharing it with your networks. For more information on Rep. Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, visit our website.
UFW & Central Valley Growers Delivered Almost 8,000 Letters Calling for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to Republican Whip McCarthy’s Office
The UFW and Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, delivered letters on Wednesday to Rep. McCarthy’s Bakersfield office. As Republican Whip, McCarthy is the third highest ranking Republican in the House, and he represents a key California agricultural district. The letters asked McCarthy to use his leadership position to urge members of Congress to vote for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals in the U.S. and the agricultural stakeholder agreement negotiated by the UFW and the Agricultural Workforce Coalition.
Farmworker Justice & the Northwest Justice Project Settle Lawsuit on Behalf of H-2A Sheepherders
Chilean sheepherders on H-2A temporary agricultural visas filed the lawsuit against their direct employer, Washington rancher Max Fernandez, and the Western Range Association, for violations of labor and human trafficking laws. The Western Range Association represents over 200 sheep ranchers and provides services such as recruiting workers from abroad. A federal court found the Western Range Association to jointly employ, with the rancher, the workers and therefore jointly responsible for complying with labor laws, marking an important victory for sheepherders. The companies and the workers then settled; the three workers received $110,000 and attorneys’ fees. Hopefully, the court’s ruling and the settlement of claims will provide Western Range and similar associations with a strong incentive to educate their agricultural employer members on the law and take steps to ensure compliance with the law. The case is also a timely reminder of the abuses that occur under guestworker programs.