The Politics of AgJOBS

The Politics of AgJOBS photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl

With both growers and farm workers on board for agricultural labor reform, the prospects for AgJOBS would seem good. At one time, the bill appeared to be headed straight for passage; a version of AgJOBS introduced in the Senate in 2000 had strong Republican support and was seen as the most likely immigration policy reform to pass.

But over the past decade, the opponents of immigration reform have blocked the enactment of AgJOBS. “Gradually the moderate Republicans that have supported AgJOBS have been weeded out of the Senate either by retirement or they’ve lost,” says Rob Williams, project director of Migrant Farmworker Justice. “On the Republican side we had strong support … [More recently] we haven’t had a Republican [champion].”⁵⁹

Another reason for delay is that AgJOBS has become part of a comprehensive immigration reform package, rather than remaining a standalone bill. Immigration reform components such as the DREAM Act and AgJOBS typically garner more public and political support than a broader comprehensive reform proposal because they focus on specific immigrant populations (youth and agricultural workers). “Ten years ago we were by ourselves [in advocating for AgJOBS] and then we became an element of comprehensive reform,” said Williams.

The U.S. agricultural sector has a lot to lose from increasingly restrictive immigration legislation at the state and federal levels. Restarting immigration reform discussions in a sector where immigrants are most vital economically can provide a path forward for reform, so the AgJOBS bill would be a logical place to start the discussion. Both the dampening effect on immigration of the struggling economy and the reauthorization of the farm bill may provide added impetus for including immigrant farm labor in the broader discussion of agricultural policy.