Pritzker suggests employing recently arrived undocumented migrants on
farms
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[August 30, 2023]
By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker suggests allowing the influx of
migrants who have arrived in Illinois to be workers on farms throughout
the state. The notion has drawn questions.
Around 12,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago and other parts of the
state over the past year. At a stop in Decatur to the Farm Progress Show
Tuesday for an unrelated news event, Pritzker was asked about utilizing
such workers on farms.
"What we have said is, we think they ought to have the ability to get
jobs, and we have jobs available in Illinois," Pritzker said. "In the ag
[agricultural] community, we have jobs available."
Pritzker went on to say that he believed the workers could benefit
Illinois farms.
"I think it is a vitally important step forward," Pritzker said. "Could
it be great for the ag community? Of course, it could be, and you've
seen that there is more and more work that needs to be done."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Aug/30/images/ads/current/elkhart_fertilizer_sda_FAIR_2023.png)
The state currently offers the H-2A program that allows permitted
immigrants to work on farms after having gone through background checks
and other vetting practices.
State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, told The Center Square that with
Pritzker's plan, there is no way to police who would be coming to work
on their properties.
"There is nothing set up for this to work," Meier said. "The programs
that we have that we use are vetted. We know who is coming, and we have
some background on them."
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the Farm
Progress Show in Decatur Tuesday - Facebook / Governor JB Pritzker
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/Sep/05/images/ads/current/stclara_lda_SPONSOR_090519.png)
Meier, who runs a farm of his own, said he could use the extra help but
does not support the idea of using undocumented workers.
"The ones that we have here working, a lot of farms use, and we need
workers," Meier said. "It seems like you should have to come legally
into this country to do that. That's my opinion on that."
Pritzker will be in Chicago Wednesday with members of Congress and
business groups promoting the idea of allowing undocumented migrants
work allowance. Tuesday, he said he doesn't want to "necessarily"
encourage illegal immigration.
"Once people have spent several months here waiting for what is a
require hearing that they're just waiting, these hearings have been
delayed because so many migrants have come to the United States and so
we ought to let people work after a certain amount of time," Pritzker
said.
So far, city and state taxpayers have set aside $94 million for migrant
housing. The state budget has $550 million in taxpayer subsidies for the
health care of migrants over the age of 65. Pritzker also recently
signed legislation that allows certain migrants to become police
officers.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Aug/30/images/ads/current/charrons_bch_2022.png) |