Agriculture Secretary says immigration reform needed to supply farms with enough labor

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said President Obama's executive order on immigration reform will help protect between 250,000 to 400,000 undocumented workers from deportation, but that Congressional action is needed "to make sure U.S. farmers have the legal workforce they need," Spencer Chase reports for Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. Most of the 11 million immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally work in agriculture.

Vilsack said on Wednesday, “Congress needs to act. If we're to maximize the ability of the U.S. to produce food, we're going to have to have immigration reform. Comprehensive immigration reform will reduce the budget deficit, will shore up the Social Security system, will provide border security and will meet the needs of many industries. It is unbelievable to me that Congress cannot find the will or the way to get this done. It's an outrage.” (Read more)