Agricultural Personnel Management Program
University of California

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- U.S. lawmakers visiting Mexico said Wednesday that they expect quick passage - perhaps by the end of the year - of a bill that would help some immigrant farm workers gain legal residency.

However, the delegation, which was to meet Friday with Mexican President Vicente Fox, said broader immigration reform is far off.

"The first (immigration) legislation that could get adopted in Congress is the legislation dealing with agricultural workers, and that seems to be moving well," said Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel.

"Hopefully, we might be able to get that bill moved before the end of the year," he said.

Farr said Mexico should be patient in its hopes for more work visas in all industries and an amnesty program for an estimated 7 million undocumented workers in the United States.

"The rest of the agenda is going to take a little bit longer," Farr said. "It involves a lot of complicated issues."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said, "We certainly would want to do more" in immigration reform, but noted "if we can get this piece of it passed, it would pave the way and serve as a model of how we can build confidence and build bridges."

The proposal - known as the Berman-Cannon bill after its sponsors, Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and Howard Berman D-North Hollywood - would allow 500,000 undocumented U.S. farm workers to become legal residents.

The proposal also would reform the H2A visa program under which agriculture employers can hire immigrants as temporary farm hands after showing they can't find U.S. workers. Growers often have complained the program is too bureaucratic and burdensome.

Immigrants not already in the country would be allowed to come to the United States as temporary workers for as long as three years.

After that, they would have to return to their country of origin.

Mexico has pushed for legalization to help protect workers from abuse and exploitation. Talks on those issues were sidelined after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and subsequent disagreements between the two countries over the war in Iraq.

The delegation also includes Reps. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, and Linda Sanchez, D-Lakewood.