Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) today introduced legislation to shield farmworkers from deportation and put them on a path to earned legal status and eventual citizenship.
“Colorado’s $40 billion agriculture economy relies on an experienced workforce,” Bennet said. “The failure to fix our broken immigration system has had real economic consequences for our farmers and ranchers. This bill serves as a necessary step until we can enact a long-term solution by passing comprehensive immigration reform.”
Under the Agricultural Worker Program Act, farmworkers who have worked in agriculture for at least 100 days in each of the past two years may earn lawful “blue card” status. Farmworkers who maintain blue card status for the next three or five years, depending on the total hours worked in agriculture, would be eligible to adjust to a green card or legal permanent residency.
The following organizations support the Agricultural Worker Program Act:
• Alianza Americas
• America’s Voice
• American GI Forum
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
• Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
• Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network.
• CATA
• Center for American Progress (CAP)
• Church World Service
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)
• East Coast Migrant Head Start Project
• Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO
• Farm Worker Association of Florida
• Farmworker Justice
• GreenLatinos
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)
• Hispanic Federation
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
• La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE)
• Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
• LatinoJustice PRLDEF
• League of United Latin American Citizens
• MAFO, Inc.
• Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF)
• National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives
• National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP)
• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures
• National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
• National Latina/o Psychological Association
• National Hispanic Medical Association
• National Immigration Law Center
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)
• National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association
• PICO National Network
• Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)
• Presente.org
• SER-Jobs for Progress National Inc.
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• U.S.- Mexico Foundation
• United Farm Workers
• United Migrant Opportunity Services/UMOS Inc.
• United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI)
• United We Dream
• We Are Casa
• William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI)
• Worker Justice Center of NY