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Issues: Immigration Reform

By their nature, fresh fruits and vegetables are highly perishable and need to be harvested, packaged, and shipped in a timely manner. This is especially important in certain agricultural areas of the U.S. that have small windows of opportunity to harvest their crops due to the seasons. The industry relies on a strong workforce of both domestic and guest workers in order to gather produce from the fields; however, current U.S. guest worker programs do not sufficiently meet our industry's needs.

PMA supports immigration reform, particularly the provisions in the AgJOBS bill.

PMA Member Immigration Reform Briefings & Resources

• New! AgJOBS Bill introduced in both chambers of congress - May 15, 2009
• Four Reasons to Enact AgJOBS
• AFL-CIO and Change to Win Immigration Reform Principles

E-verify

• E-verify Program - This Web-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

H-2A Regulations

• PMA Analysis of H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program Reform - February 14, 2008
• U.S. Farm Job Opportunities and H2A Certified Job Opportunities: An Analysis - This report looks into the current role of H-2A in the context of overall farm job opportunities. Nationally, H-2A labor certifications represent 1.9% of farm job opportunities. In most major H2A using states, the number remains well below 10%. September 12, 2007

Immigration Reports

• New York Farm Credit Statement on Immigration Reform — October 16, 2006
• USDA Report on Farm Labor — August 28, 2006
• Guest Worker Program Essential in Immigration Reform — Joint editorial column by PMA and Western Growers Association, appeared in the March 27, 2006 issue of The Packer.
• PMA Position Paper on Immigration Reform
• American Farm Bureau Federation Report — This economic analysis details the impact of enforcement-only immigration reform programs. In summary, production of fresh fruits, vegetables, and nursery products would be hit hardest as 10-20% of output would shift to other countries, increasing the U.S. trade deficit on virtually a dollar-for-dollar basis. A fifth to a third of production for the fastest growing fresh component of the fruit and vegetable market would be lost.
• CATO Institute Report "Backfire at the Border: Why Enforcement without Legalization Cannot Stop Illegal Immigration
• U.S. Congressional Budget Office Report "The Role of Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market

If immigration reform is important to your business, consider joining PMA's Grassroots Organized to Win (GROW) network. This volunteer group of member advocates helps PMA inform Congress on immigration reform, nutrition programs, and other policy issues. E-mail GROW@pma.com to sign up.

Related Documents (PDF)

U.S. Department of Agriculture Report on Farm Labor   -  08/30/2006
This USDA report details trends in the U.S. agricultural workforce. It highlights those regions who have experienced decreases in labor availability - due in part to issues related to immigration.