Obama;s executive action to protect at least 250,000 farm workers

USPA News - U.S. President Barack Obama`s executive action on immigration reform will lift the threat of deportation for at least 250,000 undocumented immigrants who work on farms in the United States, a union president said late on Wednesday after a meeting with Obama. "We were pleased to learn from the President today that at least 250,000 farm workers - and at least 125,000 California farm workers - will be eligible for deportation relief under his executive action," said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union after meeting with Obama at the White House.

The labor union leader said Obama is committed to work with UFW to make sure all eligible farm workers get the deportation relief they need. Details about Obama`s plans have not yet been released by the White House, but the president`s executive action is expected to allow as many as five million undocumented immigrants to stay legally in the country. "The President committed to working with UFW to do everything possible to make sure that every farm worker who qualifies for the program gets enrolled, and we are prepared to work with him and Congress to finish the job by passing legislation that fully addresses this issue once and for all," Rodriguez said. Obama will deliver an address to the nation at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday to lay out the details of his executive action on immigration reform, which is highly controversial with fierce opposition from Republicans, including some who believe the president`s executive action on immigration would exceed his Constitutional authority. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that an estimated 48 percent of Americans oppose Obama`s plan to take executive action on immigration reform, with only 38 percent voicing their support. The remaining 14 percent either have no opinion or are unsure, NBC News reported.