Immigrant and guest workers

“At the same time, we need to modernize our legal immigration system to meet workforce needs—especially in agriculture, health care, and tech—and to ensure people who play by the rules have a clear path forward.”

“Create new immigration pathways by streamlining visas. Expand legal immigration pathways by streamlining work, student, and family visas so Maryland’s hospitals, research institutions, defense contractors, and small businesses can compete globally.”

“We need comprehensive immigration reform that includes border security, pathways to citizenship, and work visas that meet our economy’s needs.”

“Fix our broken immigration system. He’ll expand legal visa pathways, streamline hiring for trusted employers, and protect American wages with E-Verify.”

“Americans want an immigration system that is orderly, just, and humane. We must create legal pathways to citizenship for those protected under DACA and for undocumented immigrants with long-standing ties to the US. We need to revamp the outdated visa system to meet both our labor needs and those seeking economic opportunity.”

“Work to create a fair path to citizenship for long term immigrants who have worked and paid taxes for decades as essential workers and Dreamers, and create legal avenues for workers needed to fill Nebraska’s essential roles in industries like agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality.”

“We can and should have more vetting hubs in Central America to help bring order to migration as we create a more fair and reasonable path to legalization for those who want to come here to contribute – because American businesses need a reliable workforce.”

“Create an employer sponsorship program focused specifically on lowering costs for Americans: Make it easier for businesses (particularly small businesses) to hire migrant workers in sectors like housing construction and agriculture to reduce labor shortages, address supply chain issues, and lower inflation.”

“Reduce labor shortages and bring down costs with smart immigration policies that don’t harm American workers: Make it easier for small businesses to hire migrant workers in sectors like housing construction and agriculture to reduce labor shortages, address supply chain issues, and lower costs. Ensure strong labor standards on those visas and crack down on employers who game the system to displace American workers or suppress their wages.”

“Immigration policy must serve the people of this country — not corporations. Mass immigration, including programs like H-1B, hurts American workers and undercuts wages. Michael Alfonso will protect our workers and national identity.”

“When corporations started replacing Maine loggers with cheap foreign labor, Troy did not just complain about it. Troy helped lead the 1998 logging blockade at the Canadian border that forced the state to pay attention.”

“A bill from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, to protect Maine trucking jobs became law without the governor’s signature Friday, June 18. LD 188, “An Act Regarding the Transportation of Products in the Forest Products Industry” would fine large landowners and the offending motor carrier for failing to follow federal cabotage.”

“President Jackson has repeatedly sought action on both the state and federal level to end this unlawful practice and hold violators accountable. He even brought Gov. Paul LePage up to Fort Kent to hear directly from the affected truckers in 2017. In the Maine Legislature, President Jackson has introduced several pieces of legislation to protect Maine trucking jobs and penalize offending companies for breaking the law, including a new state law that takes effect October 18. In addition, he has written to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State and the Department of Labor. Last summer, he filed a complaint against the Department of Labor for failing to enforce federal cabotage laws.”

“On Monday, Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) for repeatedly failing to enforce H2A immigration law with regard to the practice of cabotage by Canadian H2A workers in Maine’s logging and trucking industry.”

“This isn’t about the Canadians; it’s about the U.S. allowing companies to violate the law and leaving American workers to pay the price. I am asking the department something very simple: enforce the law and protect logging and trucking jobs for hard-working people in our state.”

“Earlier this year, Jackson introduced a bill to hold landowners who participate in this practice accountable.”

“All this bill does is ask large landowners to do the bare minimum: follow federal cabotage law, recognize the abuse of the H-2A visa program and give Maine workers the fair shot they deserve.”

“Despite initial strong bipartisan support, Senate Republicans flipped their vote to reject “Hire Maine” legislation and sustain the governor’s veto. The bill – LD 268, “An Act To Create a Credit under the Commercial Forestry Excise Tax for Landowners Using Businesses Based in the United States,” – from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, sought to incentivize the hiring of Maine workers over cheaper Canadian labor in the Maine woods.”

“Fix our broken immigration system. He’ll expand legal visa pathways, streamline hiring for trusted employers, and protect American wages with E-Verify.”

“His broader message was that federal immigration policy should protect the wages, opportunities and economic security of American workers.”

“We can protect our national security, protect American wages, and still treat human beings like human beings. That takes an enforcement system that answers to the law and to the people, not one that operates in the dark.”

“An immigration system that protects American wages instead of letting employers exploit cheap labor.”

“An underground labor market lets employers pay less than the law requires and undercut everybody. Bring it into the light, enforce labor law against the employers doing it, and wages go up for everyone.”

“Improve standards on guest worker visas: Ensure strong labor standards on guest worker visas and crack down on employers who game the system to exploit immigrants or displace American workers and suppress their wages.”

“Reduce labor shortages and bring down costs with smart immigration policies that don’t harm American workers: Make it easier for small businesses to hire migrant workers in sectors like housing construction and agriculture to reduce labor shortages, address supply chain issues, and lower costs. Ensure strong labor standards on those visas and crack down on employers who game the system to displace American workers or suppress their wages.”

“Support a strong agricultural workforce: Expand workforce development to train new workers in the industry, support farmer-to-farmer programs, and help farmers and ranchers lower food costs for Americans by responsibly hiring migrant workers when they can’t find Americans to fill their jobs — including by simplifying the H-2A visa program application and ensuring strong labor standards on those visas so that employers do not game the system to displace American workers and suppress their wages.”

“Put American workers and citizens first”

“America First also means putting American workers first. Jace will ensure that our legal immigration system isn’t being abused to drive down American wages.”

“I’ll reform the H-2A guest worker program through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, creating real pathways to legal status for the immigrant farmworkers who harvest our food while streamlining a visa system that currently leaves family farms in limbo every season.”

“Give agriculture the stable, legal workforce it needs to keep food affordable. Labor shortages on cow-calf operations, farms, and dairies drive up the cost of producing food, and those costs land on Kansas families at the checkout line. Congress must reform the broken H-2A guest-worker program — permitting year-round visas that reflect modern needs, lowering compliance costs, and giving existing workers a path to legal status.”

“Immigrants pay taxes, enrich our communities, and help our economy. It’s not immigrants who hurt U.S. workers — it’s the two-tier labor system that depresses wages for everybody. This is a form of divide and conquer by the corporations. I support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, in order to level the playing field for all workers in the United States, and raise wages for everybody.”

“Work to create a fair path to citizenship for long term immigrants who have worked and paid taxes for decades as essential workers and Dreamers, and create legal avenues for workers needed to fill Nebraska’s essential roles in industries like agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality.”

“Create pathways to legalization for certain undocumented immigrants: Create a path to citizenship for the immigrants who have been here the longest and certain groups like spouses and DREAMers, while allowing those who recently arrived to apply for temporary work permits if they are filling a job that will help lower costs for Americans.”

“Crack down on employers who exploit undocumented workers' immigration status to underpay them and dodge accountability, and support a path to citizenship, because normalizing immigration status removes the leverage employers use to suppress wages and silence workers.”

“Enforce labor law so employers can't use the threat of calling ICE to silence workers”

“An underground labor market lets employers pay less than the law requires and undercut everybody. Bring it into the light, enforce labor law against the employers doing it, and wages go up for everyone.”

“And we should provide a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who have been here the longest and groups like DREAMers, while making sure we protect undocumented workers from exploitation.”

“Improve standards on guest worker visas: Ensure strong labor standards on guest worker visas and crack down on employers who game the system to exploit immigrants or displace American workers and suppress their wages.”

“Protect immigrant workers’ right to organize their workplaces by passing the PRO Act, which would guarantee all workers, including undocumented workers, damages if their labor rights are violated.”

“AB 450 (Author: Chiu; co-author: Wiener): Protecting immigrants in the workplace. AB 450 restricts employers from cooperating with ICE in workplace deportation raids.”

“Restore and codify Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE), the whistleblower protection the Trump administration quietly shut down, so workers who report wage theft or unsafe conditions can't be deported for speaking up.”

“Crack down on employers who exploit undocumented workers' immigration status to underpay them and dodge accountability, and support a path to citizenship, because normalizing immigration status removes the leverage employers use to suppress wages and silence workers.”

“I’ll reform the H-2A guest worker program through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, creating real pathways to legal status for the immigrant farmworkers who harvest our food while streamlining a visa system that currently leaves family farms in limbo every season.”

“Give agriculture the stable, legal workforce it needs to keep food affordable. Labor shortages on cow-calf operations, farms, and dairies drive up the cost of producing food, and those costs land on Kansas families at the checkout line. Congress must reform the broken H-2A guest-worker program — permitting year-round visas that reflect modern needs, lowering compliance costs, and giving existing workers a path to legal status.”

“Support a strong agricultural workforce: Expand workforce development to train new workers in the industry, support farmer-to-farmer programs, and help farmers and ranchers lower food costs for Americans by responsibly hiring migrant workers when they can’t find Americans to fill their jobs — including by simplifying the H-2A visa program application and ensuring strong labor standards on those visas so that employers do not game the system to displace American workers and suppress their wages.”

“Fix our broken immigration system. He’ll expand legal visa pathways, streamline hiring for trusted employers, and protect American wages with E-Verify.”

“Require E-Verify nationwide”

“Supports South Carolina’s farms, businesses, and workforce”

“Work with President Trump to stop drugs, crime, terrorism, and low-wage labor from crossing our northern border.”

“He believes in legal immigration—but illegal immigration threatens our national security, burdens taxpayers, and puts American jobs and families at risk.”