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Bipartisan bill emerges on farm worker immigration

Oct 31, 2019 12:56 am
Emilie Munson reports for the Times Union that a bipartisan breakthrough on immigration for America's farmers was announced Oct. 30 that may have an impact in New York. The proposal, backed by both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, would create a path to legal status for thousands of undocumented farm workers. The legislation, if passed into law, would affect the 4,000 New York dairy farms and 55,000 agricultural workers in the state, including many believed to be undocumented. "We are fortunate to have a wide range of agriculture operations in the North Country that create jobs and drive our economy, and we are one of the top dairy-producing districts in the country," Republican Elise Stefanik said. "Securing a reliable and skilled workforce is essential to maintain the success of those operations." Read more about this story in the Times Union.