Thread: Farm lobbying group cautions states on immigration

Jan 11, 4:09 PM EST


Farm lobbying group cautions states on immigration

By RAY HENRY



ATLANTA (AP) -- States that crack down on illegal immigrants should also help farmers who need seasonal labor, the nation's largest farm lobbying group said Tuesday.

And if Congress doesn't overhaul immigration, farmers will assist the federal government in helping states create programs that give growers access to enough legal labor, under a policy that won preliminary approval at the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The policy retains the Farm Bureau's long-held view that immigration policy should be set by the federal government.

"So far, all of these state programs have been on enforcement only," said David Winkles, president of the South Carolina Farm Bureau, whose members proposed the policy. "They don't address the fact that we don't have an adequate labor supply in agriculture."

Delegates were expected to take a final vote on the policy later Tuesday.

In recent years, some state governments have passed laws attempting to crack down on illegal immigrants. A new wave of legislation is expected this year as politicians consider measures similar to a law passed in Arizona. Among other steps, the Arizona statute requires that police question the immigration status of people they have reason to suspect are in the country illegally.

President Barack Obama's administration has challenged that law in court, and a judge temporarily blocked the enforcement of several of its provisions.

Farmers rely on seasonal laborers, including many illegal immigrants, to harvest labor-intensive crops such as strawberries, onions, peaches and tobacco. The agriculture lobbying group says Americans refuse to take the difficult, low-paying jobs.

The federal government has a guest-worker program for agriculture workers, but farmers say it's expensive to use and inflexible.

"If a state can venture into the arenas of enforcing immigration, then they can venture in the arena of granting temporary legal status," Winkles said.

The debate over immigration policy reflected the delegates' regional concerns. They also voiced support for a secure border. Texas representatives modified the immigration proposal so it supported the right of state governments to help enforce immigration law and border security.

Raymond Meyer, a state director who represents ranchers and farmers south of San Antonio, said drug runners in his border region will drive heavy duty trucks through rural land when they are forced off highways. That puts ranchers and farmworkers at risk, he said.

Meyer said he prefers that Congress set immigration and border policy, but added that his farmers have immediate security needs.

"We have, naturally, Border Patrol, but it's more than they can handle," he said.



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/ ... TE=DEFAULT

There are programs readily available for farmers to get the laborers they need . But since those that are in such programs are required to maintain records and habitable conditions for their laborers is considered too costly or too burdensome to use . Quit crying me a river .

We have MILLIONS of strong men bored as hell, laying around their prison cells. Get them out to the farms and let them work..

Im sure they would love to get out of their cells and get some fresh air and sunshine...

Farm labor should all be contracted out to prison inmates.

Originally Posted by PaulRevere9

We have MILLIONS of strong men bored as hell, laying around their prison cells. Get them out to the farms and let them work..

Im sure they would love to get out of their cells and get some fresh air and sunshine...

Farm labor should all be contracted out to prison inmat

es.

you are 100 % right

Originally Posted by southBronx

Originally Posted by PaulRevere9

We have MILLIONS of strong men bored as hell, laying around their prison cells. Get them out to the farms and let them work..

Im sure they would love to get out of their cells and get some fresh air and sunshine...

Farm labor should all be contracted out to prison inmat

es.

you are 100 % right

Ditto that. Have said that for years and have heard others say it as well. Let the prisoners help pay back society for their misdeeds.

Farmers rely on seasonal laborers, including many illegal immigrants, to harvest labor-intensive crops such as strawberries, onions, peaches and tobacco. The agriculture lobbying group says Americans refuse to take the difficult, low-paying jobs.

The federal government has a guest-worker program for agriculture workers, but farmers say it's expensive to use and inflexible.

Can't have it both ways. You either pay Americans/legal workers a living wage for the work or get with the existing program! There is no reason for legal seasonal workers to bring their women/entire families here. A strong incentive to drop anchor then whine about "breaking up"
families.

Quit exploiting illegal aliens for pennies on the dollar (and sticking taxpayers with the freebies illegals suck up), charging us overinflated prices for your products and pocleting the difference. We're sick and tired of it.

Originally Posted by miguelina

Can't have it both ways. You either pay Americans/legal workers a living wage for the work or get with the existing program! There is no reason for legal seasonal workers to bring their women/entire families here. A strong incentive to drop anchor then whine about "breaking up" families.

+1

And when the illegal families remain here, some of the adults move into better jobs and are replaced by a new batch of illegals.
************************************************** ***************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for Americn workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Originally Posted by miguelina

Farmers rely on seasonal laborers, including many illegal immigrants, to harvest labor-intensive crops such as strawberries, onions, peaches and tobacco. The agriculture lobbying group says Americans refuse to take the difficult, low-paying jobs.

The federal government has a guest-worker program for agriculture workers, but farmers say it's expensive to use and inflexible.

Can't have it both ways. You either pay Americans/legal workers a living wage for the work or get with the existing program! There is no reason for legal seasonal workers to bring their women/entire families here. A strong incentive to drop anchor then whine about "breaking up"
families.

Quit exploiting illegal aliens for pennies on the dollar (and sticking taxpayers with the freebies illegals suck up), charging us overinflated prices for your products and pocleting the difference. We're sick and tired of it.

Exactly. Instead of spending their time and money lobbying Congress and statesto to turn their backs on illegal immigration, farmers of all people should be standing up to secure our borders and enforce US immigration law. After all, it's employed Americans who buy the bulk of their food.

Along with putting prisoners to work for their room and board.....why not welfare recipients too? I've never gone along with the get money/benefits for doing nothing philosophy.