Durbin Discusses Immigrant Labor And Climate Change At Agriculture Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, in a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing, asked representatives of the poultry and livestock industry about the need and value of immigrant labor.  Durbin made the case that mass deportations and dramatic cuts in legal immigration in America – as proposed by the Trump Administration – would devastate many livestock and poultry processing plants that depend on immigrant labor for operations.  

“When you go to meat and poultry processing plants in Illinois or anywhere across the United States, you will find a lot of immigrant workers. Many of them are undocumented. They take these jobs because they’re hot, dirty, sometimes dangerous, and the local folks don’t want them,” Durbin said. “Immigrant and migrant labor is critical for agriculture in America…This notion that we should close our borders and say, ‘We’re done. We don’t want immigration anymore in this country,’ is wrong and it’s unfair.”

Durbin also asked the representatives to discuss how their industries are preparing for the challenges presented by climate change.

Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks is available here for TV Stations.

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