Farm workers and their families travel to Washington D.C. to support immigration reform legislation effort
Washington, D.C. – More than 30 years ago, Leobardo Padilla experienced first-hand the consequences of being mistreated and underpaid as a farm worker. Today, the Modesto, California resident feels not much has changed for those working in the fields across the U.S. That’s why he and more than 100 farm workers, students, and families of undocumented immigrants are headed to Capitol Hill on April 7 to lobby members of Congress for a new immigration process with a path to citizenship for farm workers and the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country.
“I’m very excited to participate in this event and fight for those co-workers and friends who feel they don’t have any rights,” says Padilla, 55.
The delegation, comprised of farm workers, their sons and daughters and DACA recipients, will be traveling from California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, New Jersey, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, Ohio and Minnesota to Washington, D.C. on April 7.
The tentative agenda for the delegation is as follows:
- April 7th – Members of the farm worker delegation arrive in Washington D.C.
- April 8-9th – Legislative visits with members of Congress (Representatives and Senators).
- April 10th – Joining the "California Immigration Table" breakfast with over 200 leaders and members of Congress from California.
- April 10th – 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Alliance for Citizenship Rally at the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
The lobbying effort is organized by the United Farm Workers (UFW), UFW Foundation, Radio Campesina, Cesar Chavez Foundation, National Farm Worker Ministry, PCUN, Farmworker Justice, MAFO, Farmworker Association of Florida, and CATA. The event is also part of the UFW’s national campaign "Con la Union de Campesinos Tendremos Papeles" (With the United Farm Workers, We Will Have Documents). As part of the campaign, a series of marches for immigration reform and to celebrate the legacy of UFW founder Cesar Chavez were held throughout California, Oregon, and Washington earlier this month. The farm worker delegation is also joining the national efforts of the Alliance for Citizenship Coalition.
The UFW has been working with key Republican and Democratic lawmakers, such as Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marco Rubio (R-FLA), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), to ensure Congress approves the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (AgJOBS) or includes language that addresses farm workers needs as part of any immigration reform legislation. The bill would give professional career farm workers presently in the U.S., who have been contributing to our country, the right to earn legal status by continuing to work in agriculture.
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