Official Daily Action for Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Familias Unidas por la Justicia (Families United for Justice), an Indigenous farmworker union in Washington, is currently touring Washington state to raise awareness about the problems with the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603) which claims to provide a path for undocumented farmworkers to legal status. Instead, it will further divide immigrants by setting up a narrow path to legalization for a select few, while expanding the pool of second-class guestworkers who can more easily be exploited, and criminalizing those who fall into neither group. In addition, it establishes a wage cap for workers on farmworkers on H-2A visas and also mandates E-verify, a federal system for determining work authorization, essentially putting the weapon of border enforcement into the hands of every employer.
Farm workers are essential workers regardless of immigration status and deserve our respect and support. Today’s daily action is to call your Senators and urge them to speak up and fight against this bill. There will also be a rally at Hing Hay Park in Chinatown-International District on Sunday October 9th at 5pm where you can learn more about this bill and its myriad problems.
ACTION: Tell your Senators to OPPOSE the Farm Workforce Modernization Act
Maria Cantwell: 202-224-3441 or http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form
Patty Murray: 202-224-2621 or http://www.murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty/
Script
Hi, my name is {NAME} and I am a constituent in Seattle, {ZIP}. I am calling to urge you to OPPOSE H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This bill claims to provide a path for undocumented farmworkers to legal status. Instead, it will further divide immigrants by setting up a narrow path to legalization for a select few, while expanding the pool of second-class guestworkers who can more easily be exploited, and criminalizing those who fall into neither group. In addition, it establishes a wage cap for workers on farmworkers on H-2A visas and also mandates E-verify, a federal system for determining work authorization, essentially putting the weapon of border enforcement into the hands of every employer. Farm workers are essential workers regardless of immigration status and deserve our respect and support. I urge you to speak up against and FIGHT this bill.
Bonus Action: Attend Familias Unidas Por La Justicia’s Rally on Sunday October 9th
Details and RSVP link here:
https://www.fujsolidaritytour.com/event-details-registration/seattle-mystica-rally-and-march-1
Background
H.R. 1603 – Farm Workforce MOdernization Act of 2021
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1603
Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future on Controversies around the 2020 version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act
https://clf.jhsph.edu/stories/controversies-around-farm-workforce-modernization-act
