Senate urges expansion of guest-worker program

By Kristina Torres

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Congress was urged Thursday to expand the nation's federal guest-worker program under a resolution passed unanimously by the state Senate.

Senate Resolution 715 follows passage last year of Georgia’s immigration law -- House Bill 87. The law seeks to deter illegal immigrants from coming here and encourages those already here to leave by preventing them from getting jobs and public benefits in Georgia.

A federal judge in Atlanta put parts of Georgia’s law on hold in June following a court challenge brought by a coalition of civil and immigrant rights groups. The state is appealing to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the meantime, the state's powerful agricultural industry has said the law hurt it. According to a University of Georgia report released last fall, the state was projected to take a $391 million hit and shed about 3,260 jobs last year because of farm labor shortages.