Immigration reform to improve migrant farmworker health

America's agriculture industry relies heavily on immigrant farmworkers to harvest and process its produce. Three million migrant seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) in the United States, 80 percent of whom are foreign-born, toil year round in orchards, fields and vineyards. At least half of these MSFWs are without the protections and benefits afforded to those with legal credentials to work in the U.S. Trade and agricultural policies create the conditions that drive up the numbers of farmworkers migrating into the United States, while domestic immigration policies undermine the health, safety, and security of hired immigrant farmworkers.

Because of their working and living conditions and the hazardous nature of agricultural work, farmworkers and their families often suffer poor health. Anti-immigration policies, however, prevent hired farmworkers from receiving the legal documentation needed to seek protections, health care, and social services. Further, these policies obstruct farmworkers' efforts to organize and advocate for safer working conditions.

To improve the health of farmworkers, four types of policy changes are required: (1) revise trade and agricultural policies to reduce pressure on individuals to leave their home countries in pursuit of employment abroad (2) expand visa and citizenship options to afford farmworkers adequate legal status while they work in the U.S. (3) strengthen the laws and enforcement of agricultural labor standards and (4) Improve access to social benefits for all farmworkers.