BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Senate overwhelmingly voted in support of a two-pronged message to the federal government - fix our southern border and immigration policy.
Senate Joint Memorial 102 passed by a 30-4 vote, with one absent, to voice displeasure with the inaction of the Biden Administration. The memorial wouldn’t change policy or law; it is simply a message to Congress and the executive office.
"We can bad mouth the [Biden] administration and do all that we wanna do, but Congress has got to act. The President has got to act," Senate Pro Tempore Chuck Winder (R-Boise) said.
The letter outlines the state's concerns with the lack of security on America's border with Mexico; it further calls for a border policy that does not allow people to illegally enter the states. Secondly, the letter acknowledges Idaho's economic dependence on the current undocumented workforce - The University of Idaho recently estimated to be 30,000 workers - and further requests a comprehensive year-round work visa program to sustain industries, including agriculture.
KTVB previously reported most workers in Idaho's dairy industry are undocumented. The Idaho Dairymen's Association has been working with Idaho's congressional delegation for years to push for visa reform to document the workforce.
Currently, the H-2A visa program only accepts seasonal workers.
KTVB met an Idaho farmer in October 2023 who runs a dairy operation. In 20 years, he has had one American applicant across all job openings. The American applicant was given priority over an H-2A worker, per federal law, and got the job.
"Once they got on the farm, they worked one day and never showed up again," the farmer said.
Members of the Idaho Freedom Caucus spoke openly against the memorial on the Senate Floor; they shared concerns the letter doesn't go far enough. They additionally feared the letter was ambiguous.
While the memorial explicitly outlines an opposition to amnesty, Sen. Brian Lenney (R-Nampa) argued a year-round visa program is effectively the same thing but under a different name.
"Where are the guest workers coming from if we're not gonna let people in and we're gonna take the people here and hold them responsible? To me [holding them responsible] would be sending them back - deporting them." Sen. Lenney said. "This prioritizes labor over security."
The memorial is now heading to the House for their consideration.
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