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Agriculture industry: decriminalize our workers
BY JOANNA LIN
Immigration reform that decriminalizes agricultural workers and allows
them to earn legal status is a top priority in a strategic plan released
by the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.
The proposal is part of the state's
Agricultural Vision, a set of
policy recommendations that also
addresses regulatory administration, water security, land and
resources, access to healthy food, invasive species and stewardship.
Public comment on the recommendations will be accepted until Friday.
A group of 120
agriculture leaders and stakeholders
– including farms, government agencies, and public health, environmental
and agricultural advocacy groups – drafted and ranked the proposals last
year. Final recommendations will be presented to the board in the fall.
Immigration reform won the broadest support, with 73 percent of
participants supporting the measure without reservation. Twenty-three
percent considered it a high short-term priority.
California produces half of the country's fruits, vegetables and nuts,
and one-fourth of its dairy. An estimated 75 percent of the state's
agricultural workers are born abroad, primarily in Mexico. About half of
them are believed to be unauthorized immigrants, according to the
proposal.
"Coordinated efforts at recruiting domestic labor have largely failed,
despite high unemployment in many agricultural communities," the
proposal says. "Agriculture needs reform of federal immigration and work
force laws to ensure its stability, future viability and a secure and
vibrant workforce."
The group said the current federal H-2A seasonal agricultural worker
visa program is "cumbersome and ineffective," bringing in only a small
fraction of farm workers. It recommends supporting the federal
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act and
AgJOBS, a bill sponsored by
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that has bipartisan backing.
The bill calls for reforming the H-2A program and would allow many
undocumented farm workers to continue working legally if they pay a
fine, are current on their taxes, have clean criminal records and commit
to working in agriculture for another five years.
Supporters say the bill is necessary because labor instability pushes
farm production and jobs out of the country. At least 84,155 production
acres and 22,285 jobs have
moved to Mexico, Feinstein
says.
The Agricultural Vision recommends recruiting workers from other sectors
where there are transferrable skills. It also proposes establishing a
network to connect workers with available jobs and increased access to
public transportation in rural areas. The remote location of many
agricultural jobs has made recruiting domestic labor difficult, the
proposal says.
Among the Agricultural Vision's other immigration reform
recommendations:
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Pass state legislation to enable farm workers to obtain California
driver licenses while working in the state.
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Pass state legislation that eliminates the 30-day mandatory impoundment
for unlicensed drivers.
·
Limit state and local government inspections of agricultural workplaces
to public safety and criminal activities. Leave immigration enforcement
to the Department of Homeland Security.
·
Adopt family-first priorities in the law that avoid breaking up families
through deportation when children are involved.
·
Help agricultural workers assimilate with education in English and
agricultural skills.
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