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AgJOBS Immigration Bill Is Stealth Amnesty
Posted on Monday, May 19 @ 09:14:45 EDT
Topic: guest worker program illegal immigrants
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 AgJOBS Immigration Bill Is Stealth Amnesty
by James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. and Diem Nguyen
WebMemo #1685
The debate over immigration amnesty could soon return to the Senate
floor. According to press reports, Senator Diane Feinstein (D–CA) plans
to attach the proposed Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and
Security Act of 2007 (AgJOBS) to the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007.
The AgJOBS bill is all too similar to the comprehensive immigration
reform bill that was rejected in Congress last spring, which would have
granted amnesty to millions of people who are unlawfully present in the
United States. Amnesty would worsen the immigration problem in America,
encouraging more illegal border crossings and undermining the
credibility of American immigration laws. Congress should reform and
expand programs for visiting agricultural workers rather than use farm
bill legislation to pass stealth amnesty.
Amnesty Returns
The AgJOBS proposal is a remnant of the failed comprehensive
immigration bill, to which it was originally attached. Since that
effort failed, AgJOBS advocates have been looking for an alternative
vehicle for their bill.
AgJOBS shares the following flaws with the marred comprehensive
reform legislation. The bill grants amnesty to agricultural workers who
are currently unlawfully present in the United States. According to
estimates, approximately 1.5 million workers would be granted
"legalization," as well as an additional 1.8 million family members.
In addition, the bill requires immigrant workers to apply for
citizenship. Failure to apply for citizenship would result in their
deportation. Forcing such choices is itself objectionable. It also
makes no sense: Currently, many migrant workers choose to keep
permanent residence in their home country; this requirement would not
allow such flexibility.
Topics: illegal immigration, Senate, Iraq War Funding bill, AMNESTY, illegal aliens, sellouts, Agjobs, Diane Feinstein, Craig
The bill alsomandates that workers cannot be fired without "just
cause."This vague standard would likely result in employers being
bogged down in litigation.
A Better Way
The agricultural sector in the United States does require seasonal
workers, but amnesty is not the answer. Real, sensible immigration
reform would help employers hire the workers they need by doing the
following:
Not granting amnesty to illegal workers.
Simplifying and expanding existing H2-A programs in a manner that
meets the labor demands of the marketplace and respects the rights of
individual employees.
Conclusion
Attaching AgJOBS to the farm bill is another attempt at stealth
amnesty and would create more problems than it would solve. Congress
should reject such approaches and instead concentrate on real reform of
existing visa programs, creating credible legal alternatives to illegal
border crossing and unlawful presence.
James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is Assistant Director of the Kathryn and
Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Senior
Research Fellow in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign
Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Diem Nguyen is Research
Assistant in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy
Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
Discuss this article with our online activsts at...
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-688163.html#688163
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