State of Reform

Diem Salmon / April 01, 2008

Arizona which has been a national leader in state-directed initiatives to combat illegal migration is now trying to address the other half of the problem–getting the economy the workers it needs. There are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 illegal immigrants working on American farms, but only 75,000 legal H-2A workers according to the Department of Labor. Federal regulatory measures are overly bureaucratic and in need of major reform. As a result, the state of Arizona has recently suggested taking matters into its own hands and proposed the idea of a state-created and run guest worker program.

As reported by The Christian Science Monitor, the proposed Arizona initiative would reduce federal red tape by enabling employers to send only one application to one department rather than the three different departments requiring paperwork with the federal H-2A program. Once confirmed that Arizona cannot fulfill the employers requested need for workers, the employer can turn to Mexico where potential employees can receive approval from the US consulate and employment cards to work in the US for up to two years. (more…)