VERMONT TIMES-ARGUS

May 16, 2009

Sen. Leahy proposes reforms for immigrant farm workers

By DANIEL BARLOW

VERMONT PRESS BUREAU

MONTPELIER – There are an estimated 2,000 immigrants working illegally – and often surreptitiously – on Vermont farms during busy seasons. And U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy would like to see as many of them as possible brought into the light.

Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, has once again sponsored legislation in Washington, D.C., that would make it easier for farm workers who may not be in the country legally to obtain proper documents and possibly become U.S. citizens.

Under the five-year plan, migrant agricultural workers who have worked in the United States for two or more years would be given documentation to continue working on farms. The proposal would also make it easier for farms to legally bring in workers from another country.

"No longer will farmers ensure the waste and heartbreak of watching fields of crops rot for lack of workers to harvest," Leahy said when introducing the bill Thursday. "Workers will be able to contribute lawfully and openly to our nation's agricultural industry and integrate into their surrounding communities, adding to the fabric of our diverse American life."

Farm work is hard, and unfilled jobs on farms are difficult to fill, advocates say. Over the years, more and more Vermont farmers have turned to immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala to work their farms, milk their cows and pick their crops.

"The idea of what a job means has changed," said Cheryl Mitchell, a member of the Addison County Migrant Workers Coalition, a group that works with farmhands from other countries. "People want 9 to 5 jobs and that's not farm hours."

Vermont has a relaxed policy toward many of these workers – busts by state or federal immigration officials are rare, if not unheard of, in the state. But this uneasy balance is worrisome for the workers, who don't know if they will be sent back to their country, and the farm owners, who don't want to break the law, but also want their farms to survive.

Mitchell said she hasn't seen the latest bill introduced by Leahy, but the news makes her optimistic that changes could come.

"It makes me immensely hopeful," she said. "We've been saying for years now that there needs to be a system in place to protect these workers and the farmers who employ them."

State agricultural officials agree that changes need to be made – and they welcome Leahy's legislation.

Roger Allbee, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, said migrant workers are essential to the well-being of farms in the state. But the lack of policy clarity – he said farm owners often can't tell if the documents presented to them by workers are valid or not – causes problems.

He said Leahy's approach would bring more workers into an immigration system that would allow them to legally stay here, while also protecting their rights and the rights of the farmers who employ them.

"These workers just want to work," Allbee said. "Losing this worker base would be detrimental to agriculture, especially dairy farms, across New England."