The term of the current Congress is about to expire, and some members of Congress are still trying to reach a bipartisan consensus on immigration policy reform before the Republican comes to power. After all, the new president who occupies the White House is likely to be a hardliner who rejects immigrants.
The positions of the two parties are as different as ever. The Republican Party strives to implement specific measures to restrict immigration, including strengthening border control, while the Democratic Party is more inclined to open up a path for immigrants (even illegal immigrants) who cherish the "American Dream" to enter the United States.
Among the Americans who are campaigning for legalized immigration status, there is such a group: Midwestern farmers who support Trumpbuilding the US-Mexico border wall. In October, the Ohio Capital Journal reported that local farmers believed that properly housing immigrants as farm employees was "a matter of national security."
US-Mexico border wall
Why do farmers hold this view? This is attributed to the fact that the United States will gradually transform from the largest agricultural exporter to an importer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that from next year to 2031, the country's agricultural imports will exceed exports. The main reason why has entered the super market is Agricultural labor shortage : "Local people don't want to work in fields, greenhouses or packing houses," Bob Jones, a vegetable grower living in northern Ohio , said in an interview with Capital Daily. Act), this bill will give immigrant farm workers the legal status of "legal agricultural workers", allowing them to live in the United States for five and a half years, and they can also apply for permanent resident status after meeting certain conditions. The White House has passed this bill. The Washington Post reported last week that Sens. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colorado) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) were pushing for the bill to pass Congress.
I grew up on a farm in southern Ohio. In the 1960s and 1970s, farmers never lacked helpers. For example, when hay needs to be baled, small farmers can easily find nearby children to help for a few days, and the pay of 2-3 US dollars per hour (equivalent to 17 or 18 US dollars per day) is enough. Some farmers operated on a larger scale, planting thousands of acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and other crops, and also raising cattle, sheep, and pigs. They usually hired annual workers, and at that time many workers were willing to work in agriculture.
But as Jones mentioned, for various reasons, Americans are not as willing to engage in farming as they used to be. It is hard physical work and requires staying outdoors regardless of severe cold or scorching heat. Children of farmers who once inherited the family business have gradually embarked on other career paths. The shift in labor willingness has prompted farmers to take flexible measures, such as selling land to wind or solar companies, which is very beneficial to the production of renewable energy, but people still need to rely on agricultural production to fill their stomachs.
While the Agricultural Workforce Modernization Act, which gives more immigrant agricultural workers legal status, relieves farmers in Ohio and other states, another immigrant-friendly bill promoted by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) will have a greater impact. The latter is broader in coverage, providing a path to citizenship for immigrants with the "American Dream" by increasing the budget by $25 billion on border security projects.
Immigration is a political plague for both parties. The right wing openly and vehemently opposes the dangerous "open border" policy, while the left deplores the fact that immigrants live in the shadow of having no legal status. Both parties have received mixed reviews for their actions.
The United States has the responsibility to screen immigrants entering the country and implement various measures that can effectively protect border security - including completing the construction of the border wall and placing more staff at the border. But it should be noted that even when faced with illegal immigrants, law enforcement must respect their basic rights. It is not feasible to illegally arrest and deport them.
In fact, a more reasonable solution is not to think too much about how to deal with the influx of illegal immigrants in the future, but to provide immigrants already in the country with the opportunity to obtain legal status , including granting permanent residency or citizenship, so that millions of workers can settle as tax-paying citizens and get rid of the shadow of illegal residence and embark on a prosperous road. And it is best to make the process for immigrants to obtain legal status faster and simpler, so as to attract immigrants to take action as soon as possible.
Finally, I would like to stress that it is wise to focus on resolving the plight of immigrants. While the right-wing fears that some people enter the United States for extremely sinister purposes are sometimes valid, the vast majority of immigrants come for a better life for themselves and their families. These immigrants risked their lives to escape the apparently hopeless future of staying where they were, and traveled across mountains and rivers to overcome numerous obstacles to get here. With such enthusiasm and the ability to fill the labor gap in certain industries in the country, what reason do we have for not fulfilling their needs?
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