Ag Commissioners Discuss Texas-Mexico Border Issues

Agriculture commissioners from eight states got a close look at the unique problems facing ag producers on the Texas-Mexico border during a special tour hosted recently by the Texas Department of Agriculture, reported SouthwestFarmPress.com.

Texas Agriculture Secretary Todd Staples told visiting commissioners he wanted them to discuss the border and the need to reform our failed worker program. “We need to totally revamp that system,” he added.

Staples said a guest worker program is intended to allow foreign nationals to enter the United States as temporary residents for employment for a pre-determined time. The agriculture industry historically has supported guest worker programs, but they have been hotly debated in Washington in recent years due to border safety concerns. As lawmakers push for tighter border security, the agriculture industry has found it increasingly difficult to find enough guest workers to meet farm labor needs.

The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013 to address border security, worker programs and citizenship, but House Republicans refused to pass it without first authorizing legislation that would address “more effective border security.” S