Politics & Policy  Undocumented Farmworkers Would Get a Fast
Track to Citizenship. Why?  Undocumented Farmworkers Would Get a
Fast Track to Citizenship. Why?  Photograph by Mark Miller
Under the immigration bill the Senate began debating this week,
the 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S. wouldn’t be
eligible for citizenship until they’ve been in the country with
legal work papers for 10 years—except for farm laborers. They’re
getting a much sweeter deal: a chance to become U.S. citizens in
just five years.  Why did the bill writers create a fast track
for farm workers? Two words: job shortage.  Picking fruit and
vegetables is as hard and back-breaking as it sounds, arguably
one of the more physically strenuous types of work one can do in
this country. It’s seasonal, so the hours are unpredictable, and
the pay is low. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the
wage employers must pay farm laborers varies by state and ranges
from $9.50 an hour in Arkansas to $12.33 per hour in South
Dakota. Many wo