A pair of California Senators led by Dianne Feinstein have introduced legislation designed to provide farm workers a path to legal status and citizenship. Minnesota Milk Producers Association President Dave Buck is hoping Congress will seriously consider this measure to help solve agriculture’s immigrant labor problem.

Feinstein’s legislation would allow undocumented farm workers who have worked in agriculture for at least 100 days in each of the previous two years to earn a blue card, which would allow them to work legally. Buck says that would help the ag workers already in the United States.

Those workers who receive a blue card would eventually be eligible for a green card or legal permanent residency, which would open the door to earning citizenship. Buck says agriculture needs a legal immigrant workforce because many of them fill the jobs no one else will take.

Buck realizes it may take Congress time to move this type of legislation but thinks Senator Feinstein has at least set the groundwork for future passage.