Thread: Uh oh: Ag Sec Says Trump Open to Allowing Immigrant Farm Workers To Stay In U.S.

Trump made it very clear during his campaign that he was flexible on the immigration issue. However, many of us were so desperate for a champion that we only heard what we wanted to hear and flushed the rest. Every politician should come with a warning label ....... BUYER BEWARE. Trump may not be a politician in the way many folks think, but I would argue that point.

“In terms of immigration – and almost anything else – there always has to be some, you know, tug and pull and deal,” Trump added. “You have to be able to have some flexibility, some negotiation.”

Cruz and others lashed out at Trump’s sudden embrace of flexibility on the central issue of his campaign. “Flexible is Washington code word that he’s going to stick it to the people,” Cruz said Friday.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/...ity-on-policy/

Kelly asked Trump to clarify the immigration position he articulated to the New York Times in an off-the-record meeting that made headlines this week. Reports circulated that the billionaire businessman may have told the newspaper he was “flexible” on aspects of his immigration policy.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...le-immigration

In response to Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly, Mr. Trump said he had changed his stance on H-1B visas and would welcome more high-skilled workers into the U.S. workforce — a reversal of a position he listed on his campaign website.

“I’m changing. I’m changing. We need highly skilled people in this country, and if we can’t do it, we’ll get them in. But, and we do need in Silicon Valley, we absolutely have to have,” Mr. Trump said.

Pressed by Ms. Kelly, he confirmed he’d reversed himself.
“I’m changing it, and I’m softening the position because we have to have talented people in this country,” he said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/4/donald-trump-quickly-recants-new-stance-immigrant-/

An immigration policy centered around extreme positions — mass deportation of 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, plus building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — initially helped Trump stand out in the massive Republican primary field.

So it was a surprise when, last week, the Trump campaign seemed to change direction, indicating that he was open to "softening" his immigration position, and even at one point that he might be open to a path to legalization for some of those immigrants.

http://www.npr.org/2016/08/30/491804727/is-trump-flip-flopping-on-immigration-yes-or-no-its-sure-been-confusing

Trump came under criticism even from some of his supporters when he appeared to soften his position on deporting all 11 million or so people who are estimated to be living in the U.S. illegally. Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Aug. 24 (at about the 3:40 mark) that “everyone agrees that we get the bad ones out,” but then he left open the possibility that some who have been living in the U.S. for years without incident would get to stay.

“They’ll pay back taxes, they have to pay taxes. There’s no amnesty, as such, there’s no amnesty, but we work with them,” Trump told Hannity, contrary to his earlier position that he would have a “deportation force” to remove all 11 million people. Trump may clear up the confusion in a speech he said he will deliver Aug. 31.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/08/31/fact-check-donald-trump-immigration/89644360/

Originally Posted by Motivated

Looks like this was published on 4/28/17. I hope this is not an "AG Jobs" Amnesty redux:

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Excerpt from:
Harvestpublicmedia.org

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday said President Trump may be open to creating a way for some undocumented immigrant workers to stay in the U.S. and Perdue is already working on a “blueprint” of policy guidelines to offer the president.

Refusing to call it a pathway to citizenship, Perdue says he would like to find a solution that would allow workers in the ag industry to remain in the U.S. legally. That’s despite Trump’s campaign promises to step up deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Trump met with farmers this week and heard about the challenges they face keeping laborers for dairies or field work, Perdue says.

Full story here:

http://harvestpublicmedia.org/post/a...orkers-stay-us

How can our Agriculture Secretary not be aware of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers program?

Originally Posted by MW

How can our Agriculture Secretary not be aware of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers program?

The dairies aren't temporary workers, they're full-time, year-round.

Originally Posted by Judy

The dairies aren't temporary workers, they're full-time, year-round.

Well, then I guess the dairy farmers need to provide a better wage. After all, that is the idea behind getting rid of illegal labor. Reduce the pool of low-skilled labor and the wages will naturally increase. Seriously, since it seems to be a known fact that many of these dairy farmers are hiring illegals, ICE needs to gas up the buses and raid the farms. While they're at it, they can arrest the farmers for knowingly hiring illegal labor.

Exactly. They also need to pay relocation costs to bring American Workers to their usually remote towns. Higher wage, relocation costs, some benefits, paid vacation and sick leave, standard American wage stuff, and they'd have all the workers they could dream of. No different than opening up a new manufacturing facility. These dairies are very mechanized, it's like working in a factory. No different. All they have to do is recruit and advertise properly plus pay relocation expenses. You'll also have to train them. Most Americans today probably haven't had much experience with farm animals, but they'll learn quick.