For trade partners in North America, border security has been a major part of trade talks.
This week, President Trump said he will work with farmers who employ workers with questionable legal status. For Kansas Senator Tracey Mann, he is asking his colleagues to step up and take more permanent action on border security.
“So they are at 96-97% less than what they were year over year in the previous Administration. We also need Congress to step in and act to codify a lot of these changes that are being made in the Southern border, also to make sure that no future President can ever open up the border like we’ve seen previously. I’m all for legal immigration, but this illegal process system we’ve had in place makes absolutely no sense, and it’s not good for the health of the country.”
The ag industry has long been asking for action on H-2A visas. Washington state Congressman Dan Newhouse says he and his colleagues have been trying to take action for years.
“So, we’re looking at ways that we can reform our visa programs to better suit today’s agriculture so that the workers that we have can rest assured that they’re not going to be subject to some of the deportation activities.”
Newhouse says the border crisis in recent years led to push back on labor reform.
