Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act Sparks Fierce GOP Divide Over Farm-Labor Policy

Veteran House Agriculture Committee chair G.T. Thompson (R-PA) introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, aiming to create a temporary legal pathway for certain undocumented farmworkers. The bill would expand the H-2A guest-worker program, allowing year-round operations—such as dairy farms—to qualify for H-2A visas. Thompson frames the measure as a fix for a “broken” migrant-labor system and argues that recent border-security gains create an opening to recruit workers when U.S. citizens decline agricultural jobs.

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The proposal has ignited a sharp backlash among immigration hard-liners.

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Agricultural interests remain largely supportive. Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, said the bill would prevent “massive disruptions” to dairy labor, averting supply-chain shocks and higher consumer costs. Approximately nearly 50 Republicans have co-sponsored the measure, reflecting strong lobbying from farm-state constituencies.

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President Donald Trump responded with uncertainty, stating “I don’t know about it” when asked about the bill. Thompson defended the bill, rejecting the “amnesty” label and describing critics as “ignorant influencers” who misunderstand a temporary non-immigrant visa.

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• “The frustration that a lot of New Right people have is that there’s no business of somebody from a district like that supporting this.” — Smucker

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