San Diego Agricultural Community Seeks Immigration Reform

Growers and farm worker unions in San Diego and throughout the country have been at odds for some time over immigration issues and worker treatment. Debate has been on-going on an immigration reform bill but a tentative deal made on Tuesday may allow the bill to proceed. California Senator Diane Feinstein has been leading negotiations between growers and farm workers to come up with an agreement that will satisfy both sides. Issues that the unions are concerned with are visas for "low-skilled" workers and wages for agricultural workers. Labor and industry estimates place the percentage of illegal farm workers in the U.S. to be anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of the agricultural workforce. Growers would like the immigration reform bill to accomplish a means to legally hiring workers. While labor unions would also like to see this occur, they also want to ensure that workers are treated fairly and protected from exploitation. Growers have yet to sign off on the deal but law makers are hopeful that progress is being made. Consult with a knowledgeable immigration attorney if you have questions regarding employment authorization documents or other work-based immigration issues.

Senators Seek Faster Citizenship Pathway

Many other issues are on the table when it comes to the immigration reform bill in addition to increasing the number of high skilled or high tech worker visas and agricultural visas awarded every year. One of these issues is creating a faster pathway to citizenship for those who have already been working on farms in the country. Legislators are attempting to finalize steps which would allow the over 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S. access to obtaining citizenship. The proposed pathway would be open to farm workers that have already been working in the industry for at least two years. Important details such as visa limits and wage agreements must be hammered out before the bill can move forward.

San Diego Immigration Lawyer

Contact us at the law offices of Guerra & Johnson, P.C. today to discuss your case with an experienced immigration lawyer. We are dedicated to helping clients get the legal assistance they need with their immigration matter and we know how to get results. An attorney on our dedicated team has over 20 years of experience in this area of law. We have helped individuals and businesses with a variety of cases from employment based immigration and family based immigration to asylum and deportation issues. See what we may be able to do for you!