While some harvesting is handled by combines and similar machinery, there is still a great need for migrant farm workers across the U.S., including in the Columbia Basin. A new bill going through Congress seeks to address that issue and solidify the agriculture workforce.
September 11, 2025
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September 11, 2025 11:16 a.m.
Lawmakers eye immigrant farmworker legal status, protections
(The Center Square) – Bipartisan lawmakers reintroduced a bill designed to give immigrant farm workers an opportunity to pursue temporary legal status in the United States. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act proposes allowing immigrant farm workers to apply for Certified Agricultural Worker status, which can be renewed indefinitely, given a noncitizen’s continued employment as a farmworker.