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Farmers and ranchers need a reliable, skilled workforce. Farm work is challenging, often seasonal and transitory, and with fewer and fewer Americans growing up on the farm, its increasingly difficult to find American workers attracted to these kinds of jobs. Farm labor cant all be replaced by machines either. There are certain farm jobs, like tending livestock and pruning or picking fresh produce, that require a human touch. Where American workers are unwilling or unavailable, workers from other countries have provided crucial support to American agriculture.

Congress needs to pass responsible immigration reform that addresses agricultures current experienced workforce and creates a new flexible guest worker program. Instability in the agricultural workforce places domestic food production at risk--increasing immigration enforcement without also reforming our worker visa program could cost America $60 billion in agricultural production.

Farm Bureau supports legislative reform that provides access to a legal and stable agricultural workforce in the short- and long-term.

Stability will be provided through:

Read the rest here:
Agriculture Labor Reform - The Voice of Agriculture

This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (November 2010)

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIRA, S. 2611) was a United States Senate bill introduced in the 109th Congress (20052006) by Sen. Arlen Specter [PA] on April 7, 2006. Co-sponsors, who signed on the same day, were Sen. Chuck Hagel [NE], Sen. Mel Martnez [FL], Sen. John McCain [AZ], Sen. Ted Kennedy [MA], Sen. Lindsey Graham [SC], and Sen. Sam Brownback [KS].

The bill dealt with immigration reform. It proposed to increase some security along the southern United States border with Mexico, allow long-term illegal immigrants to gain legal status, and to increase the number of guest workers over and above those already present in the U.S. through a new "blue card" visa program. The sponsor of the Bill, Senator Arlen Specter, introduced it on April 7, 2006. It was passed on May 25, 2006, by a vote of 62-36. Cloture was invoked, which limited debate to a 30-hour period. The parallel House Bill H.R. 4437 would have dealt with immigration differently. Neither bill became law because the two Houses were not able to reach an agreement to go to a conference committee. The end of the 109th Congress (January 3, 2007) marked the defeat of both bills.

In 2006 there were estimated to be between 8 and 20 million illegal immigrants living within the United States, with the most common estimates being around 11 to 12 million.[1] Further complicating the issue is the extreme poverty present in Mexico and other Latin American countries, the high demand for unskilled labor in the United States, the alleged inadequacy of current legal immigration routes, and the presence of drug and human smuggling on the border. On December 16, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4437, which solely focused on US-Mexican border security and penalties for employers, smugglers, and those, such as churches and charity workers, providing assistance to illegal immigrants. One of the most controversial aspects of the house bill aimed to change illegal presence in the United States from a civil offense to a felony.

The major difference between H.R. 4437 and S. 2611 was the proposed legalization for illegal immigrants in S. 2611. The Senate legislation allowed illegal immigrants who have been in the country for more than five years, estimated to be 7 million in number, to apply for citizenship by paying fines and back taxes. Illegal immigrants who have been in the country for 2 to 5 years, numbering around 3 million, would be allowed to stay in the country without fear of deportation, but after 3 years would have to leave the U.S. and could apply for citizenship abroad. Those in the country for under 2 years would be required to return to their original nations. Thus, with some waiting, 10 million illegal immigrants could be eligible to become citizens. The fine is around $2000, but some sources say it might be higher.

The Bill also introduces a H-2C visa, or "blue card." This visa allows employers to bring in outside workers for up to 6 years, after which the employee must spend one year in their original country. The Bill proposes 370 miles (600km) of fencing along highly populated areas near the border; H.R. 4437 proposes 700 miles (1,100km) of fencing. The Bill does not mention any expanded role for local law enforcement for border enforcement tasks (primarily for interior enforcement) the way that H.R. 4437 does. There is an added clause, the Inhofe Amendment, an English-only proposal that makes English the "national language" of the United States aiming at discouraging services in any other language than English.

The bill would also increase the annual cap for H-1B work visas from 65,000 to 115,000, with an automatic 20% increase year on year, thus increasing the number of information technology and other professionals from foreign countries eligible to work in the U.S. It also would lower the standard by which judges determine who is eligible for refugee status from "clear and convincing evidence" to "substantial evidence."

It would allow illegal immigrants who later become legal to collect Social Security benefits based on social security credits earned while they were illegal. Also, the United States federal government would have to consult with Mexican officials before commencement of any fence construction on the U.S. side of the border.

This bill has been compared to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

The Bill set forth border security and enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting:[1]

(1) personnel and asset increases and enhancements; (2) a National Strategy for Border Security; (3) border security initiatives, including biometric data enhancements and a biometric entry-exit system, document integrity, and mandatory detention of aliens apprehended at or between ports of entry; and (4) Central American gangs.

Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) noncitizen Armed Forces membership; (2) non-immigrant status for athletes; (3) extension of returning worker exemption; (4) surveillance programs, including aerial and unmanned aerial surveillance; (5) a Northern Border Prosecution Initiative; (6) reimbursement of Southern Border State and county prosecutors for prosecuting federally initiated drug cases; (7) conditional nonimmigrant worker-related grants; (8) border security on federal land; and (9) parole and status adjustment relief for qualifying widows and orphans.

See more here:
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 - Wikipedia

The National Restaurant Association supports sensible, meaningful steps to reform Americas immigration system. Our principles for reform include:

An efficient, reliable federal employment verification system. Many states and localities have passed their own employment verification laws. This patchwork of laws creates an untenable system by forcing restaurants and other employers to comply with different laws across jurisdictions. The Association supports a consistent national standard that helps employers hire in a timely, efficient and respectful manner. Employers should not be held liable or face penalties if they use and rely on a national verification system in good faith, and should be given adequate opportunity to rectify errors. The Association has supported the Legal Workforce Act in recent years. We hope this measure will be used as the benchmark for any future effort.

Improved border security that still promotes travel and tourism. The United States needs stronger security at its borders. However, any steps to increase security should also facilitate legitimate travel and tourism to the United States. Travel and tourism drives about a fifth of all restaurant sales and boosts economic activity across all sectors.

A new program to legally match willing workers with willing employers. Immigrants play a key role in the restaurant industrys growth and diversity. We need a viable temporary-worker visa program for non-agricultural employers, including hospitality businesses. Such a program would play a key role in addressing the needs of restaurant and other hospitality employers for legal, year-round, temporary workers. It is time to create a visa program that allows legal foreign-born workers to come into the United States under a controlled process to work year-round in the service economy.

Todays immigration system is broken. It makes economic sense to fix it.

Restaurants embody the American Dream like no other industry. Theyre often the employer of choice for immigrants who come to America in search of new opportunities. The relationship benefits both sides: Immigrants gain valuable job experience and immediate access to opportunities, and restaurateurs can fill positions at every level.

Over the next decade, restaurants will likely create more jobs than the U.S.-born workforce can fill. The industry is expected to add 1.8 million positions over the next decade, a 14 percent increase in the industrys workforce. But the U.S.-born workforce is expected to grow by just 10 percent over the same period. And the population of 16- to 24-year olds, a major source of restaurant employees, isnt expected to grow at all

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Immigration Reform | National Restaurant Association

'The strong bipartisan vote we took is going to send a message,' Chuck Schumer said. | REUTERS

By SEUNG MIN KIM

06/27/2013 04:25 PM EDT

Updated 06/28/2013 12:19 AM EDT

The Senate on Thursday passed the most monumental overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in a generation, which would clear the way for millions of undocumented residents to have a chance at citizenship, attract workers from all over the world and devote unprecedented resources for security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The vote was 68-32. Fourteen Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with all Democrats in favor. Thursdays vote now puts the onus of immigration reform on the Republican-led House, where leaders have been resistant to the Senate legislation.

Story Continued Below

The strong bipartisan vote we took is going to send a message across the country, its going to send a message to the other end of the Capitol as well, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the leader of the so-called Gang of Eight. The bill has generated a level of support that we believe will be impossible for the House to ignore.

( Also on POLITICO: Republicans who voted for the bill)

The bill was a product of not only weeks of floor debate and committee rewrites, but months of private negotiations by the Gang of Eight the group of four Democrats and four Republicans to produce legislation that would give the Senate a shot at passing immigration reform, something it was unable to do just six years ago.

Republicans, shellacked by Mitt Romneys 44-point loss among Latinos in the 2012 presidential election, almost immediately coalesced behind immigration reform as a top priority. The Gang of Eight got together last fall and recruited veterans of the 2007 immigration battle such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), long-time champions of reform such as Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and high-wattage Senate newcomers, like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

If Congress passes immigration reform, it would make good on a promise from President Barack Obama and likely become his most significant policy achievement in his second term. In a statement, Obama emphasized that the bill was collaborative effort.

( PHOTOS: Pols react to immigration deal)

The bipartisan bill that passed today was a compromise, Obama said. By definition, nobody got everything they wanted. Not Democrats. Not Republicans. Not me. But the Senate bill is consistent with the key principles for commonsense reform that I and many others have repeatedly laid out.

He called on the House to act and emphasized to supporters that the fight is not over. Now is the time when opponents will try their hardest to pull this bipartisan effort apart so they can stop commonsense reform from becoming a reality. We cannot let that happen, Obama said.

The Gang of Eight bill would essentially revamp every corner of U.S. immigration law, establishing a 13-year pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, with several security benchmarks that have to be met before they can obtain a green card. The measure would not only increases security along the border, but requires a mandatory workplace verification system for employers, trying to ensure no jobs are given to immigrants who are not authorized to work in the United States.

( PHOTOS: 10 wild immigration quotes)

It also includes a new visa program for lesser-skilled workers the product of negotiations between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor unions. And it shifts the countrys immigration policies away from a family-based system to one that is focused on more on work skills.

In another marked change from the failed 2007 effort, no Democrats voted against the immigration bill on Thursday. Six years ago, 15 Senate Democrats did.

This year, all five Senate Republican leaders rejected the bill, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) saying he didnt believe there was sufficient border-security measures to stem future illegal immigration.

The late afternoon vote in the Senate had much pomp and circumstance. Senators voted from their desks, a practice usually saved for historic pieces of legislation. Vice President Joe Biden arrived from the White House to preside. And dozens of young activists wearing shirts that said 11 Million Dreams filled the Senate gallery, watching the last hours of floor debate.

( PHOTOS: 20 quotes on immigration reform)

They broke out in chants of Yes we can, after the final vote count was announced, despite being warned by Biden in advance to stay quiet.

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Immigration reform bill 2013: Senate passes legislation 68 ...

The GOP plan, dubbed the Security, Enforcement, and Compassion United in Reform Efforts, or SECURE Act, would offerthree-year work permits to 690,000 DACA illegal-immigrants in exchange for ending chain migration, requiring mandatory screening to exclude illegals from jobs, closing asylum loopholes used by migrants to get into the United States, and penalizing so-called sanctuary cities which refuse to cooperate with federal immigration-enforcement agencies.

The chain-migration element is key because it would reduce immigration by half, so driving up Americans salaries, aiding civic assimilation of recent migrants, and spurring new productivity-boosting business practices.

The bill is backed by Senators Grassley, John Cornyn, Lindsey Graham, Thom Tillis, James Lankford, David Perdue, and Tom Cotton but it is also being strongly supportedby Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. For example, McConnell endorsed the chain-migration end last week.

But two of the GOP Senators are already suggesting theycould accept major changes to the package.

Grassley introduced the bill Tuesday afternoon in a floor speech, saying this plan is fair to all parties. Its pro-American. And its a solution to DACA.

He continued:

This bi-partisan pro-American worker reform, which the President strongly supports, is an important first step towards creating the merit-based, economically productive immigration system that both Democrats and Republicans want to see.

Grassley was followed to the floor by North Carolina Sen. Tillis, who endorsed the bill but suggested he would back an bigger amnesty for roughly two million illegals.

The Grassley bill includes a three-year work-permit program for 690,000 illegals, dubbed the BRIDGE Act. The act does not allow the 690,000 DACA beneficiaries, or the 3 million dreamer young illegals, to get citizenship. But Tillis used his 10-minute speech to tout his SUCCEED Act which would provide a 15-year path to citizenship for up to 2 million illegals who could subsequently bring in chain-migrants, including their parents.

The SUCCEED Actwill be consideredin the process [as]a solution for undocumented children, said Tillis, who is astrong advocate for outsourcing Americans jobs.The average age of the DACA recipient is 26.

TheSUCCEED Actwould allow illegals who say they entered the country younger than 16 by mid-2012 to get work permits and then apply for citizenship in 15 years. The authors say thebill would cover up to 1 million people, but recent estimates by the pro-amnesty Migration Policy Institute says the bill would cover up to 2 million younger illegals. That inflow is equivalent to two new foreigners for every four Americans born in 2017.

The Democrats favored legislation, the DREAM Act, would provide a fast-track to citizenship for 3 million illegals, and would not limit chain-migration.

The DACA recipients area great group of people theydeserve an opportunity, Tillis said, even though the illegals college-graduation levels are far below the college graduation rates of Americans. Also, nearly all DACA illegals interviewed by Breitbart News has rejected any compromise proposals, including cutbacks in chain-migration.

Sen. Cornyn also spoke after McConnell and hinted that the chain-migrationreform could be diluted.

In his introductory speech, Grassley said starting day one, that chain-migration would be ended, so ensuring thatnew immigrants could only bring in their spouses and minor children but not their parents siblings, the siblings spouses, or the sibling spouses parents, regardless of age or health, skills, ideology or ability to assimilate into the United States open culture.

In contrast to Grassley, Cornyn suggested that the bill includes some limits on chain migration. That phraseimplies that the Grassleysday one rules would be eased to allow some chain migration.

Cornyns possible concession, however, did not earn him any praise from pro-amnesty lobbyists, including Todd Schulte, the director of the FWD.us group. The group was created by investors to lower white-collar salaries by increasing the supply of foreign white-collar workers.

The pro-amnesty group, Americas Voice, described the bill as a witchs brew of nativist poison pills.

Grassleys bill includes many proposals that get very high support levels in polls. For example, the bill would require companies to use the E-verify system to ensure that companies do not hire illegals. The Senators said that their version ofmandatory E-verify would include protections for small businesses.

The bill would hire more border agents and judges to quickly process legal claims made by border-crossers, support spending on the border wall, and change rules to curb asylum claims by so-called unaccompanied alien children.

The bill would also enact Kates Law, which is named after Kate Steinle, who was killed by an illegal immigrant in the sanctuary city of San Francisco. The bill is formally titled the Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015, and it would raises sentences for migrants who repeatedly violate immigration laws by returning to the United States after being deported.

Each year, four million Americans turn 18 and begin looking for good jobs in the free market.

But the federal government inflates the supply of new labor by annually acceptingone millionnew legal immigrants, by providing almosttwo million work-permits to foreigners, by providing work-visas to roughly 500,000 temporary workers, and doing little to block the employment of roughly eight million illegal immigrants.

The Washington-imposed economic policy of mass-immigrationfloodsthe market withforeign laborandspikes profits and Wall Street valuesbycutting salariesfor manual and skilled labor offered by blue-collar and white-collar employees. It alsoencourages discriminationagainst American workers, drives upreal estate prices,widens wealth gaps, reduceshigh-tech investment, increasesstate and local tax burdens, and hurtskids schoolsandcollege education. Furthermore, it pushes Americansaway from high-tech careersand reduces the work activity rate below the rate in foreign rivals,which sidelines millions of marginalizedAmericansand their families, including many who are now struggling withopioid addictions.

Link:
Senate GOP Unveils Immigration Reform, With 3-Year Work ...