House OKs Panetta plan for immigrant farmworkers

Democrat Jimmy Panetta and other lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would provide a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants who work in the American agriculture or farm industries.

The bill, called the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, would allow the Department of Homeland Security to offer certain illegal immigrants — and their spouses and children — the opportunity to get "certified agricultural worker" status as long as they've worked for at least two years, even part time, in the industry.

The legislation passed in the House on a 260-165 vote. Per the program, worker status would be valid for just over five years but could be extended. Applicants convicted of certain crimes would be ineligible for the program, while the bill also allows some people with criminal records to apply.

Under the program, which the U.S. Senate has to pass, DHS would establish an electronic system patterned on the E-Verify program for employers to verify an individual's identity and employment authorization. Employers hiring individuals for agricultural employment would have to use the system. Opponents of the bill say it would amount to mass amnesty for illegal immigrants and their families