U.S. lets in more immigrants for farms

Los Angeles Times ^ | October 7, 2007 | Nicole Gaouette

[John Jorsett]

WASHINGTON -- With a nationwide farmworker shortage threatening to leave unharvested fruits and vegetables rotting in fields, the Bush administration has begun quietly rewriting federal regulations to eliminate barriers that restrict how foreign laborers can legally be brought into the country.

The effort, urgently underway at the departments of Homeland Security, State and Labor, is meant to rescue farm owners caught in a vise between a complex process to hire legal guest workers and stepped-up enforcement that has reduced the number of illegal planters, pickers and middle managers crossing the border.

"It is important for the farm sector to have access to labor to stay competitive," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel. "As the southern border has tightened, some producers have a more difficult time finding a workforce, and that is a factor of what is going on today."

The push to speedily rewrite the regulations is also the Bush administration's attempt to step into a breach left when Congress did not pass an immigration overhaul in June that might have helped American farms. Almost three-quarters of farmworkers are thought to be illegal immigrants.

On all sides of the farm industry, the administration's behind-the-scenes initiative to revamp H-2A farmworker visas is fraught with anxiety. Advocates for immigrants fear the changes will come at the expense of worker protections because the administration has received and is reportedly acting on extensive input from farm lobbyists. And farmers in areas such as the San Joaquin Valley, which is experiencing a 20% labor shortfall, worry the administration's changes will not happen soon enough for the 2008 growing season.

[John Jorsett]

I’ve long thought the US should reinstitute the Bracero program. It hasn’t done so because organized labor opposes it, plus the “look the other way” policy was working up till now.

[South40]

With a nationwide farmworker shortage threatening to leave unharvested fruits and vegetables rotting in fields

Why? Put welfare recipients and prison inmates to work. Make them pay their way through life.

[ARE SOLE]

Ever notice the more illegals GW lets in the fewer farm workers are available? Another Bush Administration pro illegal scam.

Regards

[TomGuy]

...the Bush administration has begun quietly rewriting federal regulations to eliminate barriers that restrict how foreign laborers can legally be brought into the country.

U.S. raises refugee admissions ceilings

Posted by AuntB On 10/07/2007 11:34:28 AM CDT Washington Times ^ | Oct. 2, 2007 | Deb Riechmann The Bush administration increased more than fivefold today the number of Near East and South Asian refugees the U.S. can admit as it seeks to accept 12,000 Iraqi refugees during the next 12 months. Overall, Mr. Bush said that up to 80,000 refugees from around the world can be admitted to the United States in the next year. That's up 10,000 from last year's ceiling of 70,000.

[BenLurkin]

nationwide farmworker shortage

And our prisons are overflowing.

Seems to be a correlation there but I can't put my finger on it.

[Lokibob]

You need to re-read the article. It is not about illegal aliens, but legal ones.

I wou;d rather bring legal aliens in than pay higher prices for food AND have some of it rot in the field.

.....Bob

[blackdog]

So offer each employer a worker visa opportunity, which would allow the airlines to safely transport the workers(and thus thru a security check system)at the employer's expense and the only way the individual could be hired again elsewhere or with the same emplyer again would be after a return airline trip and thus security system checks to prove the worker returned to the home country.

Just for the sake of decency, include a wage guarantee.

[Obie Wan]

Will you PLEASE stop with the common sense suggestions,this country can’t handle common sense suggestions !!!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Any males from the age of 16 should not be given refugee status!

Let them stay and fight for their country!

[freekitty]

Is this crazy or what. With as many illegals as we have here; you would think they could find the workers.

Oh, I forgot. They won’t do certain jobs.

[freekitty]

Sorry, I am just plain fed up with GW Bush and his wacky way of thinking. I am beginning to feel he really cares nothing about the people in this country; only his precious agenda to make him richer and safer.

[ARE SOLE]

You need to re-read the article. It is not about illegal aliens, but legal ones

I do not need to reread anything Lokibob. I meant what I said. Why is it the more illegals that arrive the fewer farm workers are available?

I thought the illegals were only here to do jobs Americans would not do? So now we need to bring in "temporary workers" to do the jobs the illegals themselves refuse to do? If so, who needs them?

Wanna bet the "temporary workers" are primarily from Mexico and that they are anything but "temporary"?

This is not about legal or illegal, I don't believe the President cares about the distinction. He just wants as many Mexicans north of the border as he can get to tie the two country's together.

Regards

[RC2]

Have you noticed that you never see figures as to how many farm workers our country really needs? We have over 20 million in the country now.....how many do we need.

[upchuck]

This is at least the third time this article has been posted here on FR. So my spiel is becoming standardized:

the Bush administration has begun quietly rewriting federal regulations to eliminate barriers that restrict how foreign laborers can legally be brought into the country.

Someone help me out here. I thought this stuff was governed by law. Can the admin just change laws on the fly like this?

FWIW, I'd be willing, and I bet you would too, to pay a lot more for lettuce, etc. if we could keep out the illegal aliens.

This criminal conduct has been going on for a long time. To the point where it's become very expected in the agricultural community. The time to stop this nonsense and pay the piper is now, IMHO. Allowing more sleazebag illegals into the country is just a temporary patch on a serious problem.

And, let's suppose 100,000 more immigrants were let in on a guest worker program. How is this managed? What guarantee do we have that when the program is over they will go home?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907812/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907713/posts

[texastoo]

Let them stay and fight for their country!

What country is that?

[texastoo]

Good post. I agree with you.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

The country they are a refugee from as the males will not stay and fight.

[Fairview]

What, 38 million illegals isn’t enough?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

My reply was to this post!

The Bush administration increased more than fivefold today the number of Near East and South Asian refugees the U.S. can admit as it seeks to accept 12,000 Iraqi refugees during the next 12 months.

Overall, Mr. Bush said that up to 80,000 refugees from around the world can be admitted to the United States in the next year. That’s up 10,000 from last year’s ceiling of 70,000.