President Obama is expected to issue executive orders tonight on immigration reform. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the President is within his authority doing this and that it will provide more stability to an agricultural work force that needs it. He says the immigration system is currently broken and while the Senate passed immigration legislation over 500 days ago, the House has failed to act. Vilsack says the President’s order will let immigrant workers apply for a work authorization.
Vilsack says the order will affect a large number of immigrant workers already in the United States.
Vilsack says while this will help provide more ag worker stability, what is still needed for a more permanent fix is for Congress to early next year pass a comprehensive immigration bill.