Thread: Survey: 70% Support Immigration Reform for Farm Workers

Survey: 70% Support Immigration Reform for Farm Workers
USAgNet - 03/29/2012

In a groundbreaking new survey on the public's views of agriculture and immigration, 70 percent of voters surveyed said they would support a streamlined and sensible guest worker program allowing immigrant farm workers to come into the country legally. In fact, a similar majority does not believe migrant workers cause unemployment or take jobs away from Americans. Those findings are from a new Western Growers survey conducted by The Tarrance Group, a well known and respected national polling firm.

The guest worker program in the survey includes: a requirement to first offer jobs to U.S. workers, restrictions on entry points and length of stay, market-based limitations on visas awarded, strict oversight of participating employers and withholding of worker payroll taxes. The program also allows existing workers to participate in the program without receiving amnesty.

"It is clear that American voters aren't caught up in the harsh rhetoric claiming immigration reform should be about punishing hard working farm workers or leaving American family farmers without a work force. Americans know that we need a practical and well-regulated national program that allows immigrants to come out of the shadows to work here on our farms," said Tom Nassif, Western Growers president & CEO.

The survey found overwhelming support from all likely voter groups including Republicans, strong Tea Party supporters, Democrats and Independents. Among self-identified Tea Party supporters, 70 percent surveyed are more likely to vote for a Congressional candidate if they support this sensible guest worker program.

More than 85 percent of survey respondents agree that both creating these legal channels for temporary immigrant farm workers, and developing the ability to register and track them will improve the nation's security and allow for better control of the border, according to the Tarrance Group survey data.

Seventy-eight percent of likely voters favored withholding Social Security and Medicare taxes taken from the paychecks of temporary migrant farm workers. As an incentive, the program would refund Social Security taxes to the workers after they return to their home country. Medicare taxes would go towards covering any costs of treating uninsured patients in local hospitals.

Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Survey: 70% Support Immigration Reform for Farm Workers

We already have immigrant workers laws that no one enforces now...

No kidding, what a sick joke. The Guest Worker Program that the agjobs bill tried to create was for ILLEGAL ALIENS and I guarantee you all that 70% of Republicans and Tea Party folks did not say yes to that.

We already have numerous "Guest Worker Programs" to allow farmers all the cheap labor they want. This article and skewed poll is just another piece of deceptive propaganda designed to support amnesty for illegal aliens.

W

Americans know that we need a practical and well-regulated national program that allows immigrants to come out of the shadows to work here on our farms," said Tom Nassif, Western Growers president & CEO.

The key phrase is "well regulated". None of the current visa programs fit this description. No one manages anything. Nearly 40 per cent of illegal aliens came here LEGALLY under one of these non-regulated visa programs.

Survey: 70% Support Immigration Reform for Farm Workers


Hmmmm 70% of what 10 people 100??? Get real any survey can be slanted the way you want them to go it is all nonsense, you just get a consensus of a certain group of like minded people ...grrrr I hate surveys....

So where did they take this survey? Out front of Home Depot or in the fields somewhere?

First, we already have several programs that farmers could use to get immigrant labor. They choose not to use those programs because they would have to pay health care and workers comp expenses. They would prefer to use cheap labor.

Second, only about 3% of illegals are employed in agriculture. This is not the issue they want it to be. The majority are in manufacturing and construction, which use to be good paying American jobs.