DREAM + AgJobs

Effort pairs AgJOBS with DREAM Act

'It's probably the last possibility to get comprehensive reform this year'

By WES SANDER

Capital Press

Ag and labor interests plan to renew their push for an overhaul of immigration laws this year, despite low expectations from congressional observers.

The plan, pushed by California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, involves approaching individual lawmakers the week after Labor Day pushing two pieces of legislation, AgJOBS and the DREAM Act, together as a package.

AgJOBS -- the Agricultural Jobs, Opportunities and Security Act, introduced in both houses last year -- is a compromise by farm and labor interests first introduced in 2003. It contains a process for granting legal residency while tweaking the existing guestworker program for ag.

The DREAM Act -- the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, introduced last year by Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois -- would allow permanent-resident status for younger immigrants who have shown academic success and meet other requirements. A similar bill, The American Dream Act, was introduced in the House by California Rep. Howard Burman.

Manuel Cunha, president of Nisei Farmers League in California, said most of the targeted legislators are Republicans -- "and some Democrats, though not too many of them," Cunha said.

The effort will start in the Senate, which is expected to lead on the issue. Cunha said the targeted lawmakers are holdouts from states that see a significant need for farm labor. Topping the list are Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

The organizers hope to salvage legislation in the current session. Next year will bring a new congressional lineup, which is widely expected to contain more Republicans than it does now. And few on the right have supported the reform measures proposed since last year, with a mix of enforcement and paths to legal residency.

The groups involved include the American Nursery and Landscape Association, United Farm Workers, California Farm Bureau Federation and Western Growers.

"People are getting frustrated on promises and promises, and nothing's ever happening," Cunha said, referring to support for reform voiced by President Barack Obama. "If it doesn't happen this year, next year is going to be a mess."

The next possibility for addressing the issue will come after the November elections.

"It's probably the last possibility to get comprehensive reform this year," said Marc Rosenblum, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. "But I still think that the smart money is not on a lame-duck session."

Individual lawmakers of both parties who lose their seats may throw support behind the bills, Rosenblum said. But the Democratic party will likely be wary of perceptions that it manipulated the process by pushing a major issue before the newly elected Congress arrives.

Both bills enjoy wide support by Democrats, but only a handful of Republicans show up among their co-sponsors.

Feinstein, who introduced AgJOBS last year, argues that the DREAM Act, which enjoys greater support, should not move forward without the ag bill.

The DREAM Act appeals to liberals as a social issue, while AgJOBS brings employers and workers together on an economic issue -- therefore pairing the two can solidify Democratic support, Rosenblum said. And since the DREAM Act doesn't necessarily repel Republicans, it shouldn't hurt efforts to recruit them, he said.

Beyond the current session, it's likely the issue will come up next year, despite the possibility that Democrats won't keep control of both houses. That's because Obama has promised action, but has yet to make progress, Rosenblum said.

"He'll be very reluctant to head into 2012 without having addressed this issue," he said.

If voters next year perceive no improvement in the problems associated with illegal immigration, including crime rates, ideological lawmakers opposing "amnesty" plans may soften their stances on a comprehensive approach, Rosenblum said.

Farmers, meanwhile, fear enforcement without complementary reform, because roughly half their available workforce is estimated to be undocumented. Farm employers can't always detect fake documents, but federal immigration officials can. That means a federal raid could deprive a grower of half his field personnel during a time-sensitive harvest.

"There's a lot of education that has to go on," said Barry Bedwell, president of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League. "There's a number of (lawmakers) that I think have to continue hearing the message."

While other industries employ immigrants in greater numbers than does agriculture, farmers are considered more dependent on them, because of an inability to find domestic employees.

Such factors cause western-states ag groups to prioritize immigration reform and push for any chance they see.

"You never really know (what will happen), but you always have to try," Bedwell said.

http://www.capitalpress.com/content/...gration-082010

If she succeeds in this, I promise I won't say another negative thing about her.

Nice

"Farmers, meanwhile, fear enforcement without complementary reform, because roughly half their available workforce is estimated to be undocumented. Farm employers can't always detect fake documents, but federal immigration officials can. That means a federal raid could deprive a grower of half his field personnel during a time-sensitive harvest."

That is funny, they can't detect lol, yeah what a great way of saying that they look the other way because they can't find legal workers lol. Well i don't really trust these politicians but i wish they would vote on Ag jobs+ DREAM Act. Do any of you guys know the amount of Republicans that have constituents from Agricultural states? Would be nice to know in order to push them about Ag Jobs plus DREAM.

well at least they will try to pass it.

just do whatever it takes to pass the DA this year!

There is not only Republican senators but also Democratic senators from farm states.

I could predict a few key senators who don't support Dream Act but would support AgJob bill: McConnel (R-KY), Conrad (D-ND), Dorgan (D-ND), Ensign (R-NV), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Roberts (R-KS), Cochran (R-MS), Enzi (R- WY). The prediction is based on their past co-sponsor of the AgJob bill.

where exactly are you getting this conclusion from? i dont see why someone from nevada (where there is little agricultural productivity) would support agjobs..

MAKE IT HAPPEN! this just got me real fucking excited.

Agjob has been voted on multiple times in the past. It was very close to pass in 2005. You could look up the vote record again to see who supported it in the past. John Ensign actually cosponsored and voted in favor for Agjob back then in 2004.