Letter: Georgia’s immigrant essential workers are more essential than ever

Published 12:46 pm Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Among the many challenges rural Georgia faces, development and retention of its labor force is a top issue. The agriculture industry is a major contributor to Georgia’s overall success, but many workers are leaving to find work in the metropolitan areas. It is imperative that we continue to find ways to fix our labor shortage so people, families and business can emerge stronger and more prosperous as we rebuild from the pandemic. This can be achieved by tapping into the potential of Georgia’s undocumented immigrant population.

Today, Georgia is home to an estimated 170,000 undocumented essential workers, 71% of which have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade. Among these individuals are 5,600 essential workers protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, many of which have only ever known the Peach State as home.

Unfortunately, undocumented Georgians work and contribute without a clear path to citizenship. Given their significance to our overall workforce, we need to make their place here permanent. The U.S. Senate should consider the Dream Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to make this fix so we can continue building a resilient future, especially since versions of these bills have already passed the U.S. House of Representatives and the majority of Americans support this pathway.

Now, it is up to Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to help move the ball. When Georgia immigrants can fully contribute and participate in society, our state’s economy and communities will benefit.

Christian Olvera

Dalton