Western Growers along with over one hundred and forty members of Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) sent a letter to House leadership today registering strong opposition to H.R. 1147, the Legal Workforce Act, which was reported out of the Judiciary Committee two weeks ago.

The letter lays out agriculture’s opposition to any E-verify legislation that does not include a permanent solution for the industry, specifically the creation of a new guest worker program to meet future workforce needs and a way to retain our current workforce. The letter states:

“The negative risk of an enforcement-only strategy with no surety of reform that provides a work authorization for experienced agricultural workers and a new, flexible guest worker program for long term stability leaves farmers and ranchers no other option than to oppose this bill.”

Although a vote has not been scheduled, the industry laid out clear expectations to House Leadership that E-Verify must not move without a solution for agriculture.