IRVINE, Calif., (May 3, 2017) —Following the introduction of the Agricultural Worker Program Act of 2017 in the Senate, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif released this statement:  

“With the introduction of immigration legislation, the Senate elevates an issue often overlooked in the immigration reform debate: Retention of the existing agricultural workforce. To reform our broken immigration system, Congress must pass bipartisan solutions that acknowledge the contributions and value of current farmworkers while also creating a workable program to enable the future flow of labor to American farms. One without the other will not work.

 “We are hopeful that those members of the legislature that are working on agricultural immigration legislation accelerate the process because time is definitely of the essence and our labor situation has reached a critical stage.”