UFW vows to keep pressure on Congress to pass immigration reform as House GOP immigration framework is revealed
Arturo S. Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers of America, issued the following statement after the House Republican’s standards for immigration reform were unofficially disclosed
“We are glad to see that after a year of intense demonstrations, activities and reaching out to the House Republican leadership urging them to take action and fix our broken immigration system, they have begun to realize they can no longer ignore this very important issue.
We are pleased to read that Republicans agreed that it is imperative that temporary workers do not displace or disadvantage American workers. This would be a departure from the current agricultural visa proposal in the House HR 1773 (Goodlatte), which includes fewer protections for current farm workers than even the infamous "bracero" program of the 1940s and 1950s.
Now it’s time for them to translate these vague principles into a legislative proposal. Only then will we be able to judge whether House Republicans are serious about meeting our standards: an inclusive path to legal status upfront and an achievable path to citizenship over time. Barring immigrants from citizenship and creating a permanent underclass is inconsistent with who we are as Americans.
While the United Farm Workers and pro-immigration groups will continue to voice our concerns at the local, state and national level with even greater determination until a solution that benefits our families and communities is reached, the UFW is prepared to review and discuss any detailed written proposal for immigration reform put forward by House Republicans.”
###