By Rachel Spacek, InvestigateWest
Republican Congressman Mike Simpson hopes that one day Idaho can surpass Wisconsin as the No. 2 dairy-producing state in the nation.
But he doesn’t think it can get there without the labor of thousands of undocumented workers now facing the prospect of deportation from President Donald Trump’s administration and efforts from Idaho lawmakers to block their employment.
Since 2019, he has proposed legislation three times in Congress to provide a pathway…
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The central issue is that there is a means for immigrant laborers to get a green card or permits for long-term residency without a requirement to become a citizen. There are also ways to obtain temporary work permits that can lead to citizenship. The issue lies on several levels as to why this is not offered and made known to foreign workers. A primary problem in the past is how the past presidents and Congress have ignored making such programs accessible. It will be interesting to see how the present administration handles this side of the immigrant labor issue.