House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act to offer temporary legal status to illegal immigrant agricultural workers. The measure has drawn sharp opposition from several Republican lawmakers and advocacy groups focused on immigration enforcement.
Thompson, a Republican from Pennsylvania, recently put forward the bill to address what he described as a years-long farm labor crisis. He said astronomical labor costs have pushed many farmers toward bankruptcy and argued that reform of the H-2A visa program is essential to prevent further disruptions.
Critics including Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee and former Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino condemned the legislation as a form of amnesty. Bovino wrote on X that supporters had “just stabbed Trump’s deportation promise in the back,” while Ogles stated there could be “no amnesty as part of that conversation.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the House Freedom Caucus also posted messages opposing any amnesty measures.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he did not know about the bill but would review it. Supporters from agricultural groups, including the National Milk Producers Federation and the National Council of Agricultural Employers, said the legislation would provide a legal workforce without major supply chain issues.
Jeremy Beck of NumbersUSA told Newsweek the bill amounts to amnesty for employers and would lower wages for workers.
