Some of Michigan’s undocumented migrant farmworkers are travelling to the U.S. Capitol this week to advocate for a path to citizenship.
That’s after a Senate official blocked immigration reforms in a budget bill.
Earlier this summer, the Senate and House advanced a $3.5 trillion budget that included more than $100 billion for immigration reform.
But on Sunday, a Senate parliamentarian ruled against putting that spending proposal from Democrats in the budget.
Now, four migrant farmworkers from Michigan are joining 20 others from across the country to demand Congress act on legislation for people like them.
Leydy Rangel is the National Communications Director for the United Farmworkers Foundation and a daughter of undocumented farmworkers. She said farmworkers need citizenship now.
“These are the workers who are essential and who have no essential rights, who have been really just, that [have] been designated as essential, but, you know, yes, they're still subject to deportation," she said.
Gricelda is one of those workers traveling to Washington D.C. Monday. She’s worked at a dairy farm in Allegan County for the last 16 years.
"We deserve citizenship because we're the ones doing hard work in the field. During the pandemic, we put our lives on the line by having to continue working in person," she said.
Gricelda said she hopes Senators realize farmworkers like herself are the ones who are keeping American households fed.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 50% of farmworkers in the country are undocumented.
