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Building a wall or letting immigrants freely flow into the U.S. seem to be the only two options for immigration reform, at least that is how the issue is covered by the media.  What if there is a middle ground? Currently, Congress is considering H.R. 4760, the Securing America’s Future Act, (also known as the Goodlatte Immigration Bill). For farmers, Rep. Goodlatte’s approach just might work, with some tweaks. 

With the growing desperation for a dependable workforce, farmers are hoping for help with their labor problems. Last year, Washington Policy Center assessed Washington’s chronic agricultural labor shortage, finding that just over half of farmers suffer some type of economic damage due to labor problems. 

On March 1st farmers and agricultural representatives met with Representative Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 4th District, to discuss a possible solution, the Goodlatte Immigration Bill. Though concerns still exist about the current form of this proposal there are many potential positives.  Here is a summary of the bill’s pros and cons.

 Click here to download the full Legislative Memo