When President Barack Obama unveils an executive order affecting up to 5 million illegal immigrants, it is not expected to include agricultural workers, according to published reports. Said the New York Times, “Farm workers…will not be singled out for protections because of concerns that it was difficult to justify legally treating them differently from undocumented workers in other jobs, like hotel clerks, day laborers and construction workers.” The executive order would shield immigrants from deportation if they have been in the country for at least five years and it would allow those with no criminal record to work legally.
Agricultural labor experts told the Associated Press the executive order would provide little help for the farm sector and may drain the pool of seasonal workers. They said workers, once assured of legal status, might well prefer the steady hours of year-round employment and better conditions of work in town rather than harvest-time work on the farm. Ag groups say the H-2A guest worker program is unwieldy and should be replaced but that could require congressional action.