A coalition of individuals and organizations, under the banner of the Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE), have set their sites on 2017 for immigration reform.
PNAE brings together more than 500 local, state and federal lawmakers and business leaders – including dairy and agriculture – united in making the economic case for streamlining, modernizing and rationalizing our immigration system.
PNAE launched a nationwide campaign on August 4, including coordinated “Reason for Reform” events, and the release of new immigrant labor economic research reports for every state. The research reports showcase how immigration impacts local communities and industries, including agriculture, and stresses the urgency of modernizing the U.S. immigration system.
The goal is to move immigration reforms forward next year, regardless of who wins the November 2016 election.
Dairy Business Association takes active role
Specific to dairy, the Wisconsin effort includes the Dairy Business Association (DBA) and its affiliate, the Dairy Business Milk Marketing Cooperative (DBMMC). DBA has participated in PNAE events regarding immigration since 2014.
According to DBA’s director of governmental affairs, John Holevoet, the campaign is important to the nation’s dairy producers for four reasons:
1) it keeps the discussion about the need for immigration reform going despite lots of negative rhetoric against immigrants and immigration;
2) the state-specific reports give agricultural advocates hard statistics about how immigrants contribute to each state’s overall economy;
3) It an effort that is larger than agriculture or dairy, and show the widespread need for reforms;
4) it provides an opportunity to begin promoting reform ideas, such as a state-sponsored/federally-approved visa system, or a new agricultural visa for year-round livestock workers.
Holevoet noted Wisconsin’s dairy industry, with an annual economic impact of $40 billion, is heavily reliant on immigrant labor to fill labor and dairy farm management positions. He said the current H-2A Temporary Agricultural Visa system is not designed for year-round dairy employment.
“Dairy farmers really needed Congress to address this issue a decade ago,” Holevot said. “We have been forced to make do with a broken, ineffective system. This delay has left us with a critical need for a visa program that will meet dairy farmers’ needs.”
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is not a member of PNAE, and instead remains engaged in the search for immigration reform solutions with other farm and food groups through its membership in the Agricultural Workforce Coalition.
“We welcome the involvement of other business associations such as PNAE to help build the broadest possible alliance of interests to tackle the immigration issue,” said NMPF’s Chris Galen.
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is part of the PNAE effort.
"We need a new, more flexible visa program that meets the needs of farmers and workers," said AFBF president Zippy Duvall. Any immigration reforms, he added, must guarantee the agricultural workforce, which is largely undocumented, is not subjected to mass deportation.
"We need adjustment of status so we can maintain that experienced workforce," he said,
Duvall said any immigration legislation simply focusing on enforcement, without increasing access to visa workers, will cost U.S. agriculture billions in production and thousands of jobs.
Tom Nassif, president and CEO for Western Growers, which represents California and Arizona farmers, said the labor shortage is becoming more chronic for his farmer members.
"We are probably experiencing the most critical labor shortage since I've been president of Western Growers," Nassif said.
He said there is little credibility to the argument that migrant farm workers are taking jobs away from U.S. citizens. Agricultural wages are going up, but domestic workers aren’t joining that workforce, leaving farmers anywhere from 20 percent to 70 percent short of the labor they need to harvest crops.
Business leaders recognize there's a strong argument that nothing will change because many of the same lawmakers will be returning to Congress next year, Nassif said. One option business groups are exploring is to create a bipartisan effort among governors and former governors to press Congress.
"The states are the ones who have the heavy burden here," Nassif said. "They know what the economic and social burdens are in their states."
PNAE also launched a new digital tool, allowing users to make videos telling and sending to Congress their own Reason for Reform. Participants can also share their stories on social media platforms.
PNAE principles
According to its website, PNAE’s “principles” include:
• secure borders to prevent illegal immigration through tougher enforcement and better use of technology;
• development of a simple and secure system for employers to verify employment eligibility and hold non-compliant businesses accountable;
• create a streamlined process by which employers can get seasonal and permanent employees they need when Americans aren’t filling vacant jobs;
• increase opportunities for immigrants to enter the U.S. workforce — and for foreign students to stay in the U.S. to work — thereby attracting and keeping the best and brightest workers;
• establish a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. that include requirements, such as registering with the federal government, learning English, paying taxes and following all laws; and
• strengthen federal, state, local and employer-sponsored programs that offer English language, civics and educational classes to immigrants.
Read also:
Court ruling, election will determine immigration reform pace and direction
Dairy Policy Review: Visa backlog causing ag labor pains
Dairy Policy Review: State-based worker visa program endorsed by American Dairy Coalition
State-based visa proposal gaining steam PD
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Dave Natzke
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