As a Republican representing Wisconsin, Rep. Derrick Van Orden can’t afford his state losing much more of its agricultural workforce — but he can’t afford to walk out of step with his party on immigration, either.
“Rocks are heavy. Trees are made of wood. Gravity is real. There’s 20 million illegal aliens here that have been floating agriculture, hospitality and construction for decades, and we need their labor,” Van Orden told NOTUS.
That’s why he says he’s been working with Trump administration officials — specifically, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and border czar Tom Homan — on a proposal to alter work authorization programs such as H-2A and H-2B, which allow foreign workers to fill temporary or seasonal jobs.