Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce legislation that would shield farmworkers from deportation and put them on a path to earned legal status and eventual citizenship. By protecting farmworkers from deportation, this bill would achieve two goals: ensuring that hardworking immigrants don't live in fear and that California's agriculture industry has the workforce it needs to survive. Under the Agricultural Worker Program Act, farmworkers who have worked in agriculture for at least 100 days in each of the past 2 years may earn lawful ``blue card'' status. Farmworkers who maintain blue card status for the next 3 or 5 years, depending on the total hours worked in agriculture, would be eligible to adjust to a green card or legal permanent residency. This would provide them with a path to citizenship. Everywhere I travel in California, I hear from farmers, growers and producers from all industries--wine, citrus, fruit and tree nuts, dairy--that there aren't enough workers. Farm labor is performed almost exclusively by immigrants--fact that should surprise no one. In fact, over 90 percent of California's crop workers are immigrants, and half are unauthorized. Despite their significant contributions to California's economy and communities, farmworkers are now a priority for deportation under this administration's shameful policies. We simply must protect the families who help put food on our tables.…”