Trump immigration ban does not include agriculture workers

Trump immigration ban does not include agriculture workers

PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDING ASTIPULATION THAT IT WILL NOT BEAFFECTING THOSE WHO WANT TOIMMIGRATE FOR AGRICULTURE WORK.THE H-2A IS A VISA FOR AGWORKERS THAT HAS EXISTED FORYEARS, BUT UNITED FARM WORKERSSAYS IT'S RELATIVELY NEW TO KERNCOUNTY.

THE COUNTY ALREADY HASHUNDREDS OF H2A WORKERS,BUT MANY MORE ARE NOW EXPECTED,BECAUSE THETRUMP ADMINISTRATION RECENTLYMADE IT EASIER TO OBTAINTHE VISA.ARMANDO ELENES/SECRETA RYTREASURER, UNITED FARMWORKERS"FOR EXAMPLE THEY'RE NOTREQUIRING INTERVIEWS.

NORMALLYTHE PROCESS WAS BEFORE THEY'DCOME THEY'D HAVE TO BEINTERVIEWED TO MAKE SURE THATEVERYTHING ISOK."THE NEW, LESS STRINGENT RULESCOMING AS PART OF PRESIDENTTRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER LASTWEEK TEMPORARILYSUSPENDING IMMIGRATION INTO THEU.S.TRUMP SOT"THIS WILL ENSURE THATUNEMPLOYED AMERICANS OFALL BACKGROUNDS WILL BE FIRST INLINE FOR JOBS ASOUR ECONOMY REOPENS."BUT SOME, LIKE ARMANDO ELENES,THE SECRETARY-TREASURER FOR UFW, QUESTIONINGTHE INTENTIONS OFTHE EXECUTIVE ORDER.

SAYING IT'SCONTRADICTORYTHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS TOPRESERVE JOBSFOR AMERICANS -- YET ALSO MADEIT EASIER FOR FOREIGNWORKERS TO FILL JOBS IN THE AGBUSINESS...NAT ELENES"SO WHICH ONE IS IT?"..AND BECAUSE HE SAYS THE AGINDUSTRY ISN'T HURTING FORWORKERS.

IN FACT, HE SAYS IT'STHE OPPOSITE.ARMANDO ELENES/SECRETA RYTREASURER, UNITED FARMWORKERS"YOU HAVE ALL THESE RESTAURANTWORKERS, YOUHAVE ALL THESE CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS WHO USED TO BEFARMERWORKERS ALL OF SUDDEN OUTOF A JOB, AND YOU'REUNDOCUMENTED, WHAT ARE YOU GOINGTO DO?

YOU'RE GOINGINTO THE FIELDS."THE CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAUFEDERATION SAYS UNDOCUMENTEDWORKERS MAKE UP ROUGHLY 60PERCENT OF CALIFORNIA'S450,000-MEMBER SEASONAL AGWORKFORCE., WHILE H2AWORKERS MAKE UP ONLY ABOUT 4PERCENT.

23ABC SPEAKING WITHCIVIL RIGHTS LEADER DOLORESHUERTA -- THE LIFE-LONGACTIVIST DESCRIBING WHY SHEBELIEVES MORE H2AWORKERS ARE BEING HELPED IN.DOLORES HUERTA/ACTIVIST"THEY'RE NOT COVERED BY SOCIALSECURITY IN CALIFORNIA,THEY'RE NOT COVERED BYUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ORDISABILITY INSURANCE, SO THEYREALLY SAVE A LOT OF MONEYWHEN THEY HIRE FOREIGN WORKERS."BUT THE CFBF SAYS ALTHOUGH IT'STRUE THAT H2A WORKERS DO NOTHAVE TO BE COVERED BY SOCIALSECURITY OR VARIOUSTYPES OF INSURANCE, THEY STILLAREN'T EXACTLY CHEAP.JAMIE JOHANSSON/PRESI DENT,CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAUFEDERATION"TO HIRE AN H2A VISA HOLDER YOUHAVE TO PROVIDE THEM HOUSING,FOOD AND TRANSPORTATION.JAMIE JOHANSSON IS AN OLIVE ANDCITRUS FRUIT FARMER, AND THEPRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION.

HESAYS H2A WORKERS ANDDOMESTIC WORKERS ARE SUPPOSED TOMAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY,WITH H2A WORKERS MAKING MAKING AMINIMUMWAGE OF 14 DOLLARS 77 CENTS ANHOUR.JAMIE JOHANSSON / PRESIDENT,CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAUFEDERATION"AND IT'S GENERALLY THE DOMESTICWORKER WHOBENEFITS BECAUSE WITH THEADVERSE EFFECT WAGERATE AND EVERYTHING ELSE IT WILLRAISE THEIR WAGERATES."PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THEEXECUTIVE ORDER WILL LAST 60DAYS.

HE SAYS HE'LL CONSIDERAMENDING OR EXTENDING IT AT ALATER TIME.

IN BAKERSFIELDAUSTIN WESTFALL 23ABCCONNECTING YOU.TODAY BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE ISOFFERING A