The Chicago Council on Global Affairs released a report this week that said immigration policy for Midwest States is falling short of what’s needed. It says while coastal states need seasonal workers, agriculture in the heartland needs policy that supports long term workers. South Dakota Dairy Producers Executive Director Roger Scheibe agrees and is concerned the report notes that there’s up to a 30 percent shortage now of farm labor.
Scheibe says most of those immigrant ag workers don’t want to be in the country full time, they just want to be able to travel back and forth and work in the United States.
The report also indicates there are shortages under the H2 A visa program. Scheibe says that can be a useful program but needs to be reworked to make it more efficient and effective.
Scheibe is hoping the new Congress next year will take up the immigration reform issue and get something passed.