Bennet, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Shield Farmworkers from Deportation

Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet this week reintroduced legislation to shield farmworkers from deportation and put them on a path to earned legal status and eventual citizenship. Under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement guidelines, undocumented farmworkers are all priorities for deportation.

“Colorado’s $40 billion agriculture industry relies on an experienced and stable workforce,” Bennet said. “For years, farmers and ranchers have expressed frustration that farmworkers are not provided the proper channels to securely work in the United States. Farmworkers should not have to work in fear of deportation. Instead, they should be provided a legal pathway to gain permanent residency and continue contributing to our economy.” 

Under the Agricultural Worker Program Act, farmworkers who have worked in agriculture for at least 100 days in the past two years may earn “blue card” status that allows them to continue to legally work in the Unites States. Farmworkers who maintain blue card status for the next three years or five years—depending on hours worked in agriculture—would be eligible to adjust to legal permanent residency (green card).