Journalist Chris Clayton, of Progressive Farmer, reports: “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins rejected the idea of “amnesty” for undocumented farmworkers on Tuesday and instead suggested that farmers will find able-bodied employees among as many as 34 million Medicaid recipients who will now face tougher work requirements.
“‘He has always been of the mindset that at the end of the day, the promise to America to ensure that we have a 100% American workforce stands, but we must be strategic in how we are implementing the mass deportation so as not to compromise our food supply,‘ Rollins said. ‘Ultimately, the answer on this is automation, also some reform within the current governing structure, and then also when you think about the 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program. There are plenty of workers in America, but we just have to make sure we’re not compromising today, especially in the context of everything we’re thinking about right now.'”
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Chris Clayton, Ag Policy Blog, DTN: Rollins Says No Amnesty for Farmworkers, But Medicaid Recipients Could Fill the Void