MRS > Migration Policy and Public Affair Office > The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003
Statement of Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski
Coadjutor Bishop of Orlando
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration
March 24, 2004
I am Bishop Thomas Wenski, coadjutor bishop of Orlando and chairman, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration. I would like to thank Senator Craig and Senator Kennedy for having me here today and for their leadership on this important issue. I would also like to give thanks to Congressman Cannon and Congressman Berman, who have spearheaded the legislation in the House of Representatives. I would like to convey to Congressman Berman, in particular, our appreciation for your leadership and diligence in facilitating the negotiations on this bipartisan initiative over the past several years.
The U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a deep interest in the plight of farm workers in this country. We consider this group as some as the most important workers in our nation but also among the most vulnerable. Farm workers perform one of the most dangerous jobs in our nation, working long hours in difficult conditions. At the same time, by harvesting the fruits, vegetables, and other crops which we eat, their labor is among the most important to the welfare of the people of our nation.
Farm workers, especially those who are undocumented, can be susceptible to abuse and exploitation. Many of our labor laws do not apply to them and the rights they do have are enforced rarely. S. 1645 and HR 3142 provide a positive improvement to the unacceptable status quo. The earned adjustment provisions, in particular, will enable many undocumented workers to “come out of the shadows” and assert their basic rights in the workplace, creating an environment in the future which will both benefit foreign and U.S. farm workers. It also would ensure that employers have a stable and legal work force to draw upon in the years ahead.
This legislation enjoys broad bipartisan support and should be enacted in the near future. We call upon the Bush administration, which has recognized the importance of reforming our immigration laws, to quickly voice their support for this measure as a first step in overhauling U.S. immigration policy.
The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003 brings a measure of justice to a group of workers who help put food on America’s table. It is a measure which can be enacted this year. We call upon the congressional leadership to make passage of this legislation a top priority for the remainder of the 108th Congress.
Thank you for your consideration.