Legal Status for Undocumented Farm Workers Advances in House

Thousands of undocumented farm workers could gain a path to legal status, in exchange for a stronger employee verification process, under a bipartisan bill the House Judiciary Committee approved in an official recorded vote on Nov. 21.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038) would establish a program for immigrants in the U.S. to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the industry’s economy. The measure advanced by a vote of 18-12, paving the way for a possible vote on the House floor.

Democrats said the bill’s movement was evidence that bipartisanship on such a controversial topic ...