Immigration Reform Update 1/17/13

The beginning of 2014 has brought in a slew of news stories on the outlook for immigration reform. Several House leaders have signaled that they may address immigration reform in 2014. Most notably, Speaker Boehner has indicated that he would like to address immigration reform this year in a step-by-step manner and has announced that he plans to release immigration reform principles shortly. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA), Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA) are reportedly working on the principles with Boehner.

The principles are expected to be broad and nebulous; some details about the principles are emerging. The Wall Street Journal reports that the principles will offer a legal status to some of the 11 million undocumented residing in the U.S., but would not offer a pathway to citizenship, as the Senate bill does. “The new principles will envision a legal process by which illegal immigrants can admit guilt and pay fines and any back taxes, and then gain the right to live and work in the U.S. and travel abroad. It will insist that no legalization provisions take effect until border security and other enforcement measures are in place.” The principles are also expected to address support for other major issues addressed in the immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last summer, including border security and interior enforcement, temporary worker programs, and some kind of DREAMer provisions, according to the Wall Street Journal. Since Speaker Boehner remains committed to the “Hastert” rule—that is, only allowing a vote on legislation that has the support of the majority of Republican Members of Congress—House leadership reportedly plans to try to get a majority of the Republican House caucus to support their principles before moving forward on legislation.

House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte also spoke in favor of immigration reform on an interview with Telemundo last week. He outlined three areas of immigration reform that he believes must be addressed: enforcement, future legal immigration and addressing the legal status of undocumented immigrants. Rep. Goodlatte stressed the importance of interior enforcement, which is a controversial issue, and pointed to a lack of faith in the President as the basis for a larger role in immigration enforcement for states and local governments. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee passed the SAFE Act, which is devastating legislation that would give enormous authority to state and local police officers to enforce immigration law. The SAFE Act is almost universally opposed by advocates of immigration reform.

While these latest developments from the House indicate continued conversation and possibility of movement on immigration, it is not yet clear when legislation encompassing these principles will be introduced; or when such legislation could move forward. In a memo to the House Republican caucus, Majority Leader Cantor raised immigration as an issue that could be addressed in the next few months, but no further detail was provided. Representatives Issa and Diaz-Balart are reported to be working on pieces of legislation addressing some kind of legal status for some of the 11 million; and there are also reported to be several possible versions of a DREAM Act.

For agriculture, HR 15 includes the carefully negotiated agricultural stakeholder agreement reached by the United Farm Workers, grower representatives and a bipartisan group of Senators. The stakeholder compromise agreement would provide an earned legalization program for farmworkers that could lead to eventual citizenship and would create a new agricultural visa system that carefully balances a need to offer workers protections while meeting agricultural employers’ needs for a workforce.

In contrast, Rep. Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, HR 1773, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee last year, would drive down wages and working conditions and displace current farmworkers, while doing nothing to stabilize the precarious situation for the current undocumented workforce. The Agricultural Guestworker Act contains fewer protections than the notoriously abusive Bracero program which Congress ended in 1964 due to growing concerns about worker abuses and the program’s threat to American democratic values.

Farmworkers currently live and work in substandard conditions and experience high rates of wage theft and other labor law violations. Agriculture needs reform that stabilizes the workforce and encourages a farm labor system that enables farmworkers to rise out of poverty. The people who work hard to bring food to our table should have the opportunity to become equal members of our society and exercise their democratic rights and economic freedoms. The House should include the agricultural stakeholder agreement and an inclusive legalization with achievable citizenship for the 11 million in any package of immigration bills that it brings to the floor.

The reported developments on immigration reform are significant in the House, where many pundits had pronounced immigration reform dead. Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) praised the House for moving forward on reform, with Sen. Schumer noting that the House will need Democrats to pass any immigration reform legislation. Some Democrats and advocates, including Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL), have signaled that they would consider legalization-only proposals even though they would prefer that the legislation provide for the opportunity to eventually earn citizenship. While Farmworker Justice is encouraged by the continued conversations and possible movement forward on immigration in the House, we are concerned by the indications that the legislation may not include a path to citizenship for the 11 million. Farmworker Justice believes in our country’s democratic and economic freedoms and believes that it is wrong to allow people to live and work in this country on a long-term basis without earning the opportunity to become legal permanent residents and then citizens. Unfortunately, agriculture in the United States offers a long history on the problems that arise when the freedoms and rights of citizenship are curtailed. Farmworker Justice will continue to fight with allies for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and a full panoply of rights for all.

The beginning of 2014 has brought in a slew of news stories on the outlook for immigration reform. Several House leaders have signaled that they may address immigration reform in 2014. Most notably, Speaker Boehner has indicated that he would like to address immigration reform this year in a step-by-step manner and has announced that he plans to release immigration reform principles shortly. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA), Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA) are reportedly working on the principles with Boehner.

The principles are expected to be broad and nebulous; some details about the principles are emerging. The Wall Street Journal reports that the principles will offer a legal status to some of the 11 million undocumented residing in the U.S., but would not offer a pathway to citizenship, as the Senate bill does. “The new principles will envision a legal process by which illegal immigrants can admit guilt and pay fines and any back taxes, and then gain the right to live and work in the U.S. and travel abroad. It will insist that no legalization provisions take effect until border security and other enforcement measures are in place.” The principles are also expected to address support for other major issues addressed in the immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last summer, including border security and interior enforcement, temporary worker programs, and some kind of DREAMer provisions, according to the Wall Street Journal. Since Speaker Boehner remains committed to the “Hastert” rule—that is, only allowing a vote on legislation that has the support of the majority of Republican Members of Congress—House leadership reportedly plans to try to get a majority of the Republican House caucus to support their principles before moving forward on legislation.

House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte also spoke in favor of immigration reform on an interview with Telemundo last week. He outlined three areas of immigration reform that he believes must be addressed: enforcement, future legal immigration and addressing the legal status of undocumented immigrants. Rep. Goodlatte stressed the importance of interior enforcement, which is a controversial issue, and pointed to a lack of faith in the President as the basis for a larger role in immigration enforcement for states and local governments. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee passed the SAFE Act, which is devastating legislation that would give enormous authority to state and local police officers to enforce immigration law. The SAFE Act is almost universally opposed by advocates of immigration reform.

While these latest developments from the House indicate continued conversation and possibility of movement on immigration, it is not yet clear when legislation encompassing these principles will be introduced; or when such legislation could move forward. In a memo to the House Republican caucus, Majority Leader Cantor raised immigration as an issue that could be addressed in the next few months, but no further detail was provided. Representatives Issa and Diaz-Balart are reported to be working on pieces of legislation addressing some kind of legal status for some of the 11 million; and there are also reported to be several possible versions of a DREAM Act.

For agriculture, HR 15 includes the carefully negotiated agricultural stakeholder agreement reached by the United Farm Workers, grower representatives and a bipartisan group of Senators. The stakeholder compromise agreement would provide an earned legalization program for farmworkers that could lead to eventual citizenship and would create a new agricultural visa system that carefully balances a need to offer workers protections while meeting agricultural employers’ needs for a workforce.

In contrast, Rep. Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, HR 1773, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee last year, would drive down wages and working conditions and displace current farmworkers, while doing nothing to stabilize the precarious situation for the current undocumented workforce. The Agricultural Guestworker Act contains fewer protections than the notoriously abusive Bracero program which Congress ended in 1964 due to growing concerns about worker abuses and the program’s threat to American democratic values.

Farmworkers currently live and work in substandard conditions and experience high rates of wage theft and other labor law violations. Agriculture needs reform that stabilizes the workforce and encourages a farm labor system that enables farmworkers to rise out of poverty. The people who work hard to bring food to our table should have the opportunity to become equal members of our society and exercise their democratic rights and economic freedoms. The House should include the agricultural stakeholder agreement and an inclusive legalization with achievable citizenship for the 11 million in any package of immigration bills that it brings to the floor.

The reported developments on immigration reform are significant in the House, where many pundits had pronounced immigration reform dead. Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) praised the House for moving forward on reform, with Sen. Schumer noting that the House will need Democrats to pass any immigration reform legislation. Some Democrats and advocates, including Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL), have signaled that they would consider legalization-only proposals even though they would prefer that the legislation provide for the opportunity to eventually earn citizenship. While Farmworker Justice is encouraged by the continued conversations and possible movement forward on immigration in the House, we are concerned by the indications that the legislation may not include a path to citizenship for the 11 million. Farmworker Justice believes in our country’s democratic and economic freedoms and believes that it is wrong to allow people to live and work in this country on a long-term basis without earning the opportunity to become legal permanent residents and then citizens. Unfortunately, agriculture in the United States offers a long history on the problems that arise when the freedoms and rights of citizenship are curtailed. Farmworker Justice will continue to fight with allies for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and a full panoply of rights for all.