This week, House Judiciary Committee members passed out of committee, Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s H2C immigration legislation. Several ag groups including the American Farm Bureau back the measure. Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap says immigrant workers are needed in all areas of agriculture and especially for dairies.

Under the H2C bill, farmer and other employers could bring in 410,000 foreign workers for farm jobs as well as 40,000 other foreign workers for meatpacking plants. However, the measure does not allow for ag workers to get green cards for permanent residency. Paap says the legislation is at least a good start in improving immigration policy.

Paap says each facet of agriculture has different immigrant labor needs and the H2C legislation is good because it allows for those workers to be in the U.S. legally for at least three years.

The bill passed out of committee on a 17 to 16 vote and now goes to the full House.