Amnesty is Back on the Menu

Earlier this month, Congressman Mike Simpson issued a press release touting H.R. 9535, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act. The bill, cosponsored by Simpson and nearly fifty other Republicans, also drew praise from Big Ag lobbyists:

“The Idaho Dairymen’s Association thanks Congressman Mike Simpson for being an original cosponsor of the ‘Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.’ We are deeply grateful that the Congressman is once again showing that he is willing to lead on securing a workforce for Idaho’s dairy farms.  Idaho’s farm families are the backbone of our state and having access to a secure, stable agricultural workforce is key to the economic success of those farms and our rural communities,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

“America’s farmers and ranchers need a reliable, legal workforce to continue feeding our nation. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act is a practical step toward strengthening our agricultural workforce and ensuring the long-term viability of U.S. agriculture,” said Matt Dorsey, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.

Recall Rick Naerebout’s father, Bob, admitting in legislative testimony that up to 70% of the workforce at Idaho’s dairies could potentially be in the country illegally:

So what does H.R. 9535 actually do?

The bill would create a pathway to legal status for agricultural workers who are currently here illegally. They would be required to prove a history of employment in the agricultural industry, as well as pass a background check and pay a fee. Supporters of the bill say this is necessary to ensure a consistent supply of workers.

H.R. 9535 would also expand the H-2A visa program, which is currently used for seasonal agricultural workers. If passed, this bill would make H-2A visas available year-round for industries such as dairy and livestock production. Current law requires employers who use H-2A visas to first establish that there are no American workers available and that the visas will not negatively impact American wages. Under the new law, that certification would last for three years rather than just one.

Lobbyists from Idaho’s agricultural industry have been pushing for something like this for as long as I’ve been paying attention. Two and a half years ago, I wrote about a joint memorial that called for exactly what H.R. 9535 does: an expansion of H-2A visas for future workers and implicit amnesty for those workers here illegally:

The same people are back with a new memorial, without an explicit call for amnesty. Nevertheless, Senate Joint Memorial 102 once again comes from the perspective of big businesses that want to guarantee an endless supply of cheap labor.

Sen. Kevin Cook shared a newsletter last week lauding the new proposal, saying the memorial “underscores the urgency for a modernized approach that not only secures our nation’s borders but also meets the labor demands of domestic businesses.”

What kind of country are we when the “labor demands of domestic businesses” require a steady stream of cheap foreign workers? What happened to the idea of hiring Americans to do American jobs? Instead we encourage young people to spend years in college rather than learning the value of hard work.

On Monday, the McClure Center for Public Policy Research out of the University of Idaho gave a presentation on the supposed economic benefits of migration, both legal and illegal. According to the Center, more than 30,000 illegal aliens currently work in Idaho, which means that businesses and our entire economy depend upon their labor.

Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld brought this up during debate on the Senate floor on Tuesday. Even though SJM102 explicitly rules out amnesty, it doesn’t say what must be done about the illegal aliens currently working in Idaho. Without mass deportations, some form of amnesty is inevitable, which means SJM102 implicitly endorses amnesty.

Big Ag lobbyists and their political allies engage in linguistic sleight-of-hand by saying they don’t support amnesty, just a pathway to legal status for current undocumented workers. That’s like if I said I don’t support mass deportations, just the expedited removal of those here without authorization. It’s the same thing, but they can craft headlines declaring their opposition to amnesty while putting literal amnesty into their legislation. Indeed, in February, as he was working on crafting H.R. 9535, Congressman Simpson did exactly that:

Thank you to everyone who participated in the meaningful conversations about the need for a stable, reliable, and legal agricultural workforce. A special thank you to Rick Naerebout and Zak Miller for their efforts here as well. Did you know that 85% of Idahoans, including 79% of Republicans, support legal status for dairy workers (who pass a background check and have no criminal record) and their families.

Let me be clear: making meaningful reforms to the H-2A visa program and establishing a strong, legal immigration workforce for agricultural producers is not an amnesty deal. I do not support amnesty. Our country needs a stable labor force to protect our food supply and ensure farmers can continue to do their jobs.

Either we have rule of law, or we don’t. Either we have a border, or we don’t. Either we have a country, or we don’t. It’s incredible that at the very moment when innovation in AI and automation stands to replace more low-skill jobs, and when the labor force participation rate remains lower than at any point in the past half-century outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, Republican congressmen are working to codify a permanent foreign agricultural workforce.

President Trump campaigned on mass deportations and enforcing the law with regard to immigration policy. Congressman Simpson has presented himself as one of the president’s biggest supporters since his second inauguration and is even now trying to portray H.R. 9535 as being in support of the president’s agenda, rather than a complete repudiation of it. The Trump Administration is removing those here illegally while also targeting the incentives that bring illegal aliens here in the first place, including public benefits, financial services, and, of course, jobs. Congress should stand up for Trump’s agenda and the rule of law by defeating this ill-conceived bill.

Congressman Simpson is unlikely to change his position on this legislation—after all, he’s a proud cosponsor—but feel free to call his office and respectfully register your disagreement anyway. I suggest calling Congressman Russ Fulcher as well and urging him to vote no on H.R. 9535.

Amnesty for those who come here illegally—breaking numerous laws in the process—is never acceptable. It’s time to remind Congress of that fact.

Feature image created with Microsoft Copilot.

About Brian Almon

Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.

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