Tired of Waiting for Feds, California Bill Addresses Illegal Farmworkers Issue

A similar bill was proposed in California three years ago, but it died as both immigrant rights groups and labor unions opposed it. They instead hoped for a national approach to immigration reform, rather than state-by-state measures.

After three years, the national reform they had hoped for still has yet to come. The groups that opposed the previous measure have not posed an argument to this one.

“We can’t wait any longer,” said Alejo, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “Different organizations continue to look to Washington. Meanwhile, it’s our families back home, especially those working in agriculture, who are suffering the most, with no solution in sight.”

Current guest worker programs grant temporary visas to foreign laborers. Alejo’s program would instead give permits to illegal laborers already living in California and working in agriculture. Felons would not be eligible for permits, nor would those with three misdemeanor convictions.

The permits would protect both laborers and immediate family members from deportation, provided that the laborers meet the following expectations: they must be 18 or older, must have performed a certain amount of agricultural labor, and must pay a fee to cover administrative costs.

Many California farmers support this bill. “We have a large population of people who came here to work, not to be any kind of a security threat to anybody,” said Bryan Little, director of employment policy at the California Farm Bureau Association (CFBA), “And they came to work in an industry that needs them badly.”

Four years ago, Utah passed a program similar to what Alejo proposed. It’s starting date was pushed back twice, and it has yet to be implemented.

Utah State Senator Curt Bramble said that the delays were in hopes that the “federal government would give the program its blessing” so as to avoid a legal battle. Currently, a federal blessing has not been given.

Still, “In the absence of federal action,” Bramble said, “I think it’s incumbent upon the states to try to address the issue.”

Alejo’s proposed legislation was approved by the California Assembly last month. Now in the hands of the state Senate, its future remains uncertain.