Senate and House Reintroduce AgJOBS Amnesty

Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Reps. Adam Putnam (R-FL) and Howard Berman (D-CA) reintroduced the AgJOBS Amnesty in both the House (H.R.2414) and Senate (S.1038). The bill would offer Amnesty to illegal aliens (and their families) who can show that they’ve illegally worked in the country over the past five years.

The AgJOBS bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to grant an “emergency” Amnesty to more than 1 million illegal aliens, using an “emergency agricultural worker status.” In order to qualify for the Amnesty, illegal aliens would need to (based on the 2008 version):

show that they worked 863 hours or 150 work days or earned at least $7,000 in agricultural employment during the past four years,
file an Amnesty application through DHS or a “qualified designated entity” during an 18-month application period,
not be a known terrorist or convicted criminal,
and pay a fine of $250.

Once an illegal alien meets the minimum requirements, they can acquire legal status for their spouse and children, get a social security card, and become immune to future prosecution for social security fraud.

To maintain their “emergency agricultural worker status,” former illegal aliens would have to complete 100 days of agricultural work each year for up to five years, allowing them to compete for American jobs the other 265 days per year. They would also be required to pay federal income taxes.