WASHINGTON — The Senate is set to vote today on measures that could open the door to legalizing an estimated 500,000 immigrant farmworkers and their families.
It will be the first test of strength in years between senators who support legalized status for at least some of the estimated 10 million illegal immigrants in this country and senators who advocate reducing illegal immigration by tightening enforcement and border controls.
Each side said today's votes also could signal how much support there was in the Senate for the sort of comprehensive immigration reform President Bush had said he wanted Congress to enact this session.
Immigration changes -- An article in Tuesday's Section A about proposed changes in immigration laws said that under a measure debated in the Senate, an illegal immigrant who had worked at least 100 hours in agriculture during the 18 months before the measure became law would qualify for temporary residency. In fact, the worker would had to have worked 100 days in agriculture before Dec. 31, 2004.
Bush's proposals have met stiff opposition from some Republicans, particularly in the House, who say the measures would amount to amnesty for the majority of the nation's illegal workforce.
At the core of the Senate debate, which opened Monday, is a provision sponsored by Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) dubbed AgJobs. It would provide a two-step process for illegal farmworkers to achieve permanent residency. Any permanent resident then could apply for citizenship.
Under AgJobs, those who did at least 100 hours of agricultural work in the 18 months before the legislation became law could apply for temporary residency. If that status is granted, workers who then put in 360 days in agriculture over the next three to six years could gain permanent residency. Their spouses and children also could apply for permanent residency.
Craig is offering the measure as an amendment to an $80-billion-plus emergency funding bill designed mainly to pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Even if the Senate adopted AgJobs, the plan would face an uncertain fate. House negotiators probably would try to kill the measure in talks with the Senate over the emergency funding bill.
But the amendment's advocates say that even if AgJobs does not become law now, the Senate's debate has focused attention on the need to reform immigration laws.
"It's put farmworkers on the front burner," said Marc Grossman, spokesman for the United Farm Workers union.
Grossman said as many as half of the nation's estimated 500,000 illegal farmworkers were in California, with the rest scattered across other farming states.
AgJobs supporters say the amendment, co-sponsored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), would address chronic labor shortages in agriculture and improve living conditions for farmworkers.
- Support Grows for Bill to Aid Farm Migrants Nov 01, 2003
- Skilled Immigrants Bill OKd Mar 15, 1988
- Bush Is Taken to Task on Immigration Jul 17, 2004
