Panetta Urges Collaboration for Improved Immigration System in Letter to President Trump

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) authored a letter sent Tuesday to President Donald Trump urging him and his administration to collaborate with Congress to improve our nation's immigration system. Cosigned by Reps. Jeff Denham (R-CA-10), Jim Costa (D-CA-16), and David G. Valadao (R-CA-21), the bipartisan letter highlights the critical role that immigrants play in California's agriculture industry, which feeds the world. The agriculture industry is experiencing a labor emergency, and our government needs to find a bipartisan solution to improve our immigration system to ensure certainty for both our producers and farm workers.

This letter was sent the same day that President Trump signed his most recent Executive Order, Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America.

"While I am optimistic about President Trump's recent focus on rural America, a majority of his actions including proposed 21% budget cuts to the USDA, the delayed nomination of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and harmful anti-immigration rhetoric may negatively impact our rural economies and communities," said Congressman Panetta. "It is time that we collaborate on bipartisan immigration policies. My letter highlights the important role of hard-working immigrant farm workers in our region's agriculture industry, but also the inherent value they bring to our rural communities and country."

Click here to read the full text of Congressman

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