Bipartisan congressional leaders told American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) members that immigration reform for agricultural labor may finally have momentum after decades of false starts, citing a newly secured border and growing recognition of the economic imperative.
"The No. 1 issue as I travel the country and visit with these members is the lack of labor," said Zippy Duvall, AFBF president, during a panel discussion at the organization's annual convention. He called it "the biggest limiting factor" preventing young people from entering farming.
Bipartisan legislation in the works
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, said related legislation has been drafted, based on 21 recommendations from a 16-member task force. The recommendations, 15 of which received unanimous support, will be introduced soon.
"If you don't have workforce, you have food insecurity. And if you have food insecurity, you have national insecurity," Thompson said. He noted the legislation will likely go through the House Judiciary Committee, where he said leadership appears ready to act.
H-2A program 'not working'
The H-2A temporary agricultural worker program has become increasingly problematic for producers. Thompson cited testimony from a farmer who said the program "saved him" a decade ago, but under current conditions "is probably going to put them out of business."
Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, said she remains committed to comprehensive reform despite previous failures under multiple administrations. She co-sponsors legislation by Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, that would reform H-2A to include year-round visas, wage certainty and workforce protections.
Klobuchar urged producers to make the economic case for labor reform, particularly for specialty crop operations facing severe workforce shortages.
Border security excuse 'is gone'
Both Thompson and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Arkansas, said the long-standing excuse that immigration reform couldn't proceed without border security no longer applies.
"The border's always been under control. It was just under control by the cartels previously. And today it's under control of the United States of America," Thompson said. "And so that excuse is gone."
Enforcement concerns raised
However, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, raised concerns about current enforcement creating fear among agricultural workers. She said a dairy farmer in her district reported that workers — including legal immigrants — were reluctant to come to work after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were spotted at a nearby gas station.
"We have to ask ourselves: Are we a nation where immigrants want to come and be in and work and feel like they can be part of a contribution to America?" Craig said. "My concern is that this administration – at times – does not act like they actually want immigrant labor here in the United States."
Cautious optimism for reform
Duvall expressed optimism about the incoming administration's stance on agricultural labor issues, telling AFBF members this may be "the first time in history we've got a president that's sensitive to that issue and wants to find a solution."
Boozman said labor concerns arise in virtually every meeting with agricultural groups. "Perhaps we can get that done short term. We need massive reform," he said, noting bipartisan support is growing due to producers' advocacy efforts.
Video footage of the panel discussion can be found on AFBF's YouTube channel.
