March 27, 2006

The Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Members of the Judiciary Committee,

We write to ask for the Committee’s support of a compromise amendment offered by Senator Feinstein that would reform our nation’s labor and immigration laws related to agriculture. We believe the reforms contained in the Feinstein amendment will improve the lives of those that labor to provide the nation’s fruits and vegetables and would provide the agricultural sector with a stable and legal workforce. Senator Feinstein’s thoughtful work is an important addition to the Chairman’s mark.

The Feinstein amendment builds from a landmark compromise between agribusiness and our union, between Senators Larry Craig and Kennedy, and reflected in S. 359, the AgJOBS legislation. This legislation is cosponsored by 48 Senators. The bill would reform the H-2A agricultural guestworker program to ensure it can meet the episodic needs of agricultural employers and it would grant committed agricultural workers legal status.

The Feinstein amendment is not a political solution it is a necessary solution. Today somewhere between one-half and three-quarters of the U.S. agriculture workforce is illegal. Agricultural employment is often the entry point for new migrants in this country. As new enforcement measures are instituted to ensure that criminals and terrorists are rightly excluded from this country, both legal and illegal agricultural employees are cut off from their jobs. Crops rot in the fields. The status quo is simply untenable, ripe for exploitation, and the situation demands a long term solution. It would be derelict of Congress to draft a bill purporting to solve the nation’s immigration quagmire without including a solution for workers and employers in agriculture.

The approval of the Feinstein amendment would be a solid step towards producing a bill that deserves the support of the full Senate. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Arturo S. Rodriguez
President