February 06, 2008

Bush admin's new massive guest worker program (H-2A overhaul)

The Bush administration wants a massive "guest" worker program, and if they can't get it through legislation they'll do it by revamping a program that already exists, H-2A. From this:

The Bush administration today plans to announce the most significant overhaul in two decades of the nation's agricultural guest worker program [H-2A], in a bid to dramatically increase the number of legal foreign laborers available to harvest crops.

The revised regulations, many months in the works, would make it easier for growers to bring foreign workers to the United States and could alleviate the critical farmworker shortage largely caused by the U.S. crackdown on illegal border crossings.

What shortage? What crackdown? Nicole Gaouette seems to be assuming facts not in evidence.

"There is huge potential here to replace the massive illegal workforce with a legal one," said Leon Sequeira, an assistant secretary at the Department of Labor.

...The proposed changes, which would take effect after a 45-day period of public comment, would modify how foreign laborers are paid and housed, and slightly expand the types of industries that can use the program. The administration would also ease the standards farmers must now meet to show they have tried to hire U.S. citizens first.

On the possibly-bright side, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) isn't a fan of the changes, thinking the AgJobs amnesty would be the better choice.

A PDF with the details is at dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1202308094416.shtm

To comment, go to regulations.gov and enter USCIS-2007-0055 in the Comments box in the middle of the page; at post time it didn't bring anything up but it probably will later today or tomorrow.

Posted to Immigration2008a at February 6, 2008 09:51 AM