This week the Agriculture Workforce Coalition called on Congress to enact legislation to address the labor crisis faced by American Agriculture before implementing a mandatory E-verify system. Coalition member and National Council Of Farmer Cooperatives President and CEO Chuck Conner testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee. He says passing a mandatory e verify program would hurt agriculture because an estimated 70 percent of hired farm workers lack proper authorization to work in the U.S.
Conner says immigration reform containing a proper guest worker program is badly needed because the current H2A program is so cumbersome that it just provides only a small fraction of the workers needed by farmers and ranchers.
The Judiciary subcommittee is examining the Legal Workforce Act which would mandate the use of the E verify system. Conner while opposing the mandate says agriculture would welcome a verification system that is simple, efficient and certain