Today, it seems that almost everyone is in agreement that our current immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed. We've seen many proposals in the House, and the passage of a Senate bill. I am encouraged to see this large and complicated issue being addressed in our nation's capital. This issue needs to be addressed, and while Colorado Farm Bureau may not agree with everything that is in the Senate immigration reform bill, we believe compromise can be reached once the House passes their version.

In order to make true progress on this issue, I urge Rep. Scott Tipton and all his colleagues in the House to give immigration reform the attention it deserves.

First and foremost, agriculture needs a workable guest worker program. Even when farmers and ranchers offer higher wages to get the labor they need for their crops to be harvested and livestock to be cared for, they are forced to watch crops rot in the fields and orchards, leave young animals less protected, or ask family members to work more hours. In the 3rd Congressional District, which Tipton represents, the economy depends on farming, ranching, natural resources, tourism, recreation and so much more. If the United States had a viable agricultural worker program, farmers and ranchers could get the labor they need. If we had a usable guest worker visa program, other industries and businesses could find labor as well.


Instead we are all too often caught in a bureaucratic nightmare of the current system.

What farmers and ranchers in Rep. Tipton's distract face is a current immigration system that is far too slow to respond to requests, fails to follow visa holders through expiration and too often turns away skilled workers. A temporary worker visa program will encourage the flow of labor in and out of our country, and can be expedited to respond to spikes in industry demand or to agricultural seasons.

In truth, immigration reform will come down to our ability to enforce the law while allowing legal immigrants the right to work, and to protect and secure our borders while still allowing for the free movement of trade. Employers must also be able to verify that their workers are here legally.

The Senate has successfully started the process by passing immigration reform. The House must now follow suit by carefully deliberating the ins and outs of one of the more complicated pieces of legislation they will see. I urge Rep. Tipton to take the time necessary to come up with a comprehensive, enforceable solution that will work for our country and the next generation of people who would like to live here.

Don Shawcroft is president of the Colorado Farm Bureau.