Ag Secretary Says Trump Open to Allowing Immigrant Farm Workers To Stay In U.S.

Peggy Lowe, Harvest Public Media, Apr. 28, 2017 - "U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday said President Trump may be open to creating a way for some undocumented immigrant workers to stay in the U.S. and Perdue is already working on a “blueprint” of policy guidelines to offer the president. Refusing to call it a pathway to citizenship, Perdue says he would like to find a solution that would allow workers in the ag industry to remain in the U.S. legally. That’s despite Trump’s campaign promises to step up deportations of undocumented immigrants. ... Daniel M. Kowalski, an attorney and editor of Bender’s Immigration Bulletin, said he’s surprised and pleased with the news. “This new benefit for ag workers could be an entering wedge of reform, opening up relief for DACA (“Dreamer”) kids, their parents, refugees, and more,” Kowalski says. “It will take sustained pressure from families and small businesses to convince Trump and Congress that immigrants are a benefit, not a burden.” If Perdue’s plan moves forward, Congress may have to pass a bill creating a new visa program or provide tweaks to the existing H-2A and H-2B visas, Kowalski says. Or perhaps the Trump Administration would direct the Department of Homeland Security to order Immigration and Customs Enforcement to exercise prosecutorial discretion to resist deporting all of the people they arrest, he says."