FRESNO – Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) and Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) hosted a bipartisan immigration roundtable in Fresno in partnership with Nisei Farmers League. The conversation brought together farmers, advocates, and local business owners to discuss the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform and explore common-sense solutions to deliver for the San Joaquin Valley.

During the roundtable, Congressmen Valadao and Costa highlighted key legislation reintroduced in the 119th Congress, like the DIGNITY Act and Farm Workforce Modernization Act, as positive steps forward. Congressman Valadao co-led the reintroduction of both bills.

• The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would allow undocumented farmworkers to earn legal status while modernizing the H-2A guest worker program our farmers and producers rely on.
• The DIGNITY Act combines stronger border security with an earned process for longtime undocumented residents, including Dreamers, to obtain legal status and work permits.

Together, these proposals represent tangible pathways to stability for immigrant families, certainty for farmers and agribusinesses, and long-overdue reforms to strengthen both the workforce and the economy.

“Decades of inaction have left us with an immigration system that fails to meet today’s challenges, creating uncertainty for our farmers and for the many undocumented immigrants who have lived and worked peacefully in the Central Valley for years,” said Congressman Valadao. “Bipartisan immigration reform remains one of my top priorities, and hearing directly from those impacted helps me fight for policies that bring fairness and stability to our communities.”

“Farmers need certainty, workers deserve dignity, and our communities need real solutions,” said Congressman Costa. “That’s what this conversation is about, bringing people together to have the hard conversations and push for solutions that can finally move immigration reform forward.”

 “The Nisei Farmers League supports H.R. 4393 in giving workers and families, including DACA recipients, protection from the fear of deportation and the separation of families. The hardworking people that work in these industries are not felons or criminals. This legislation will allow these workers to apply for Dignity Status while not leaving the country. They are essential and frontline workers who feed and care for the United States of America and the world. Let’s give dignity and respect to the hardworking people and their families that they deserve by supporting H.R. 4393," said Manuel Cunha Jr., Nisei Farmers League President.  

“This moment is a call to action on behalf of families in the Central Valley, and although this bill may not include all immigrant families, it is a significant start. These are families who have contributed to the fabric of America by paying their taxes, opening new business, and sending their children to college, among other things. The Dignity Act is a crucial step for all of us who believe in upholding the dignity and humanity of our communities. We stand in solidarity with these families and hope this bill can be the beginning of something great for them," said Margarita A. Rocha, Executive Director at Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc. 

Background:

California is home to an estimated 2.3 million undocumented immigrants, the largest population in the country, and their work is central to keeping our economy running. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, roughly half of all farmworkers in California are undocumented, making them essential to putting food on America’s tables. In the Central Valley alone, immigrant labor sustains the region’s multi-billion-dollar agricultural economy.

During the roundtable, Congressmen Valadao and Costa underscored that real progress on immigration will only come when lawmakers are willing to work across the aisle. As members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, both Representatives are helping to drive solutions that can gain traction in a Republican-majority Congress. 

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