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On March 22, 2007, a bipartisan group of House members, led by Rep.
Luis Gutierrez (D.-Ill.) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.), introduced
the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy
(STRIVE) Act of 2007, HR 1645. The bill includes AgJOBS, the
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act. AgJOBS is
located in Title VI, Subtitle C.
AgJOBS advocates
are seeking passage of AgJOBS through a comprehensive immigration
reform bill or, if necessary, separately. AgJOBS is filed as a
separate bill in the House as H.R. 371, and as S.340 in the
Senate. In the Senate, we anticipate that AgJOBS will be inserted
into a comprehensive immigration bill during a "markup" that would
be done of a bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee, or, if the bill
proceeds directly to the Senate floor, AgJOBS could be included in
the bill.
The next month is
a critical time for immigration reform.
During late April, the White House has been holding extensive
discussions with Senators regarding possible compromise on
immigration legislation, but it is unclear whether agreement will be
reached. Senate Majority Leader Reid remains committed to
reserving the last two weeks in May for a floor debate on
immigration. In the House, the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee
on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and
International Law is holding a series of hearings on immigration
reform. It is expected that the Senate will vote on an immigration
bill first, with House action on immigration likely to follow. At
this point, however, the process and outcome are fluid and
unpredictable.
Last Updated:
4/25/07
For more
information about comprehensive immigration reform, please visit the
following webpages:
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