Press Room

Farmworker Justice Statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee Passing S.744

The Senate Judiciary Committee finished debating and amending the immigration bill drafted by the Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight.” The Committee then voted to approve and send to the floor of the Senate the amended version of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, S.744. Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following … Read more Farmworker Justice Statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee Passing S.744

Agricultural Guestworker Act Would Harm Farmworkers and Aggravate Existing Problems in Agricultural Labor

Following a subcommittee hearing of the House Judiciary Committee focused on the implications of H.R. 1773, the “Agricultural Guestworker Act,” sponsored by Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein made the following statement:

“This bill will only serve to magnify the dysfunction in our current system and deserves no serious consideration. It is merely a distraction from the agricultural immigration compromise included in the Senate immigration bill, which has broad support and resulted from months of difficult negotiations between major agribusiness groups, the United Farm Workers, and a bipartisan group of Senators.

Rep. Goodlatte’s bill deprives current farmworkers who lack authorized immigration status the opportunity to earn a green card or citizenship while proposing a new agricultural guestworker program that would lead to lower wages and more exploitative conditions for farmworkers. That’s a step backwards for agricultural labor. The men and women working to put food on our tables deserve better.”

Farmworker Justice’s NY Times Letter to the Editor: Deplorable Labor Practices of Some U.S. Farmers

“U.S. Workers Sue as Big Farms Rely on Immigrants” (front page, May 7), about race bias on farms in Georgia, unveils the self-serving stereotypes many farmers use as a justification for deplorable labor practices.

Guest workers’ “nonimmigrant” status allows growers to abuse guest workers to protect their bottom lines, an option generally not available to other private employers. These programs serve as a barrier for domestic agricultural workers while depressing wages and working conditions for the entire work force.

Americans are hardly incapable of agricultural labor; in fact, roughly 600,000 United States citizens and lawful permanent residents work on farms. Absurd claims like “domestics just don’t have their hearts in it,” as a lawyer from a Georgia farm quoted in the article says, reflect employers’ ability to impose onerous working conditions for low pay on foreign guest workers and undocumented workers that American workers won’t accept.

Agricultural employers should end their discriminatory labor practices. And Congress should help improve conditions in the fields by creating a road map to citizenship for immigrant workers and for any future farmworkers as well.
BRUCE GOLDSTEIN
President, Farmworker Justice

Rep. Goodlatte’s Immigration Bill Undermines Bipartisan Compromise and Would Harm Farmworkers

Following the introduction of a the Agricultural Guestworker Act by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein made the following statement:

“Despite widespread recognition of the need for comprehensive reform legislation to fix our broken immigration system, Rep. Goodlatte has offered piecemeal legislation that will only aggravate the unfairness and dysfunction in our current system. This new proposal stands in stark contrast to the agricultural immigration compromise included in the Senate immigration bill, which has broad support and resulted from months of difficult negotiations between major agribusiness groups, the United Farm Workers, and a bipartisan group of Senators.

Goodlatte’s bill contains a new agricultural guestworker program that would deprive U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of job opportunities, lower farmworkers’ already poor wages, and allow exploitative conditions for an army of new guestworkers. Most important, the bill deprives the hundreds of thousands of current farmworkers who lack authorized immigration status the opportunity to earn a green card or citizenship.

Rep. Goodlatte’s bill deserves no serious consideration. The immigration reform compromise in the Senate includes both a road map to citizenship for the current undocumented agricultural workforce and a new visa program to address future farm labor needs. It would be good for farmworkers and employers while ensuring a secure and safe food supply.”

Read our summary of the “Agricultural Guestworker Act”, H.R. 1773.

Immigration Reform Proposal Includes Important Protections for Farmworkers

Following a hearing today of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following statement:

“We are encouraged by the framework of the Senate bill that would fix our nation’s broken immigration policies and provide a path to citizenship for farmworkers and their families. This carefully negotiated deal represents a hard compromise that, while not perfect, includes important steps forward for the men and women working to put food on tables across the country.

“Ultimately, the final bill should modernize our agricultural labor practices while ensuring a steady workforce and protecting farm workers in the fields today and for generations to come.”

Immigration Policy Reform Should Respect Rights of U.S. Farmworkers

Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following statement following the introduction of the Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 that would reform U.S. immigration policy:

“We are optimistic about the framework of this agreement and applaud the bipartisan work in the Senate to fix our nation’s broken immigration policies. We are pleased to see the inclusion of a path to lawful permanent residency for farmworkers and their families as well as critically important international labor recruitment protections to prevent abuse of workers by increasing transparency and accountability during the recruitment process. While we are troubled by some aspects of the bill, we recognize that reform requires compromise. We look forward to carefully reviewing the provisions to ensure that they meet our goal of providing farmworkers a path to citizenship and improving farmworker wages and working conditions. We encourage members of Congress to adopt a final bill that ensures fair treatment for current and future farmworkers and their families.

We appreciate the efforts of the United Farm Workers in reaching a hard-fought compromise with agricultural employer organizations and a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators on immigration legislation that reflects a commitment to treat the men and women harvesting our food with dignity and improve agricultural labor practices.”

Farmworker Justice Statement on Agreement Regarding Agricultural Worker Piece of Immigration Reform

Farmworker Justice President Bruce Goldstein issued the following statement following the announcement of the broad outline of an agreement among a key group of Senators, agricultural employers and the United Farm Workers on provisions that are expected to be included in a comprehensive immigration bill and would reform U.S. immigration policy regarding farmworkers:

“As details for an agreement continue to emerge, we will review the proposal. Farmworker Justice strongly supports legislation that would provide a roadmap to citizenship for our nation’s undocumented farmworkers and their families and ensure fair treatment for future farmworkers.

We are pleased that the agreement contains a program that would allow many of the undocumented farmworkers who have been producing our food, and their immediate family members, to earn legal immigration status and the opportunity for U.S. citizenship. The proposal also would replace the current H-2A agricultural guestworker program, which is fraught with abuses of foreign and domestic farmworkers, with a new program whose provisions are complex and will need to be analyzed.

We appreciate the efforts of the United Farm Workers to advance legislation that reflects a commitment to treat the men and women harvesting our food with dignity and improve agricultural labor practices.”

Farmworker Justice Welcomes First Senate Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Farmworker Justice praises the Senate Judiciary Committee for moving forward with a hearing to address the issue of immigration reform. Farmworker Justice urged the Senate to act quickly to pass legislation to reform our broken immigration system and create a roadmap to citizenship for eleven million aspiring Americans, including many of the workers on our farms and ranches.

Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice, made the following statement:

“The public debate on immigration policy vitally affects the agricultural workers who cultivate and harvest our food since over one-half of the approximately 2 million seasonal farmworkers lack authorized immigration status. Farmworkers work extremely hard, often in hazardous conditions, for very low wages, and perform an essential role to bring food to our tables. Many farmworkers’ lack of immigration status causes them to fear challenging illegal employment practices and inhibits them from seeking improved workplace conditions. As a result, wage theft and other violations of employment laws are common in agriculture.

Congress should enact legislation that reforms our broken immigration system and creates a roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans, including farmworkers and their families.

Farmworker Justice Praises President Obama’s Commitment to Pass Immigration Reform

Farmworker Justice, a national advocacy organization for the rights of farmworkers, today praised President Barack Obama’s call to action on immigration reform.

Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice, made the following statement:

With the announcement yesterday of a bipartisan group of Senators and today’s speech by President Obama, momentum is building to pass immigration reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship.

Our nation depends on the hard labor of farmworkers to cultivate and harvest our crops. Meanwhile, the majority of these workers live in poverty, unable to afford the very fruits and vegetables they harvest. Immigration reform is desperately needed to empower farmworkers to improve their wages and working conditions, as the majority lack immigration status.

Farmworker Justice Statement on Bipartisan Senate Immigration Principles

Farmworker Justice commends efforts by eight Senators to reach an immigration policy solution that would grant a road map to citizenship for eleven million undocumented people in this country. "After years of delay that have harmed farmworkers and their families, we see the potential for positive immigration reform but recognize that much work lies ahead to achieve legislation that respects the people who grow and harvest our fruits and vegetables," said Farmworker Justice’s President Bruce Goldstein. “We are pleased that the Senators’ statement of principles specifically recognizes the valuable contributions to the nation by agricultural workers who perform ‘very important and difficult work to maintain America’s food supply while earning subsistence wages.’”