One of five farms in the Midwest relies on hired labor, says a report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “Midwest agriculture currently employs 57,000 immigrant workers across a variety of sectors, including crop production, dairy and livestock care, and food processing and handling,” says the report. “Outdated H-1B and H-2A visa systems create labor shortages across all sectors.”
Based on feedback from farms, industry and labor, the report recommends reforms that include creation of a year-round temporary visa program; protection of employers if use of the E-verify system is required; creation of a new worker visa program before a crackdown on undocumented workers; elimination of arbitrary caps on visas; and recognition that high-skilled immigrants are needed as well as blue-collar workers.