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UFW holds White House rally on farm workers as Obama plans to announce executive order

United Farm Workers staged a rally near the White House today as the group asked President Barack Obama to make sure farm workers are covered in his executive order on immigration. (Obama Foodorama/Eddie Gehman Kohan)

Hours before President Barack Obama announced that he will speak to the nation Thursday evening on his executive order on immigration, the United Farm Workers held a rally in front of the White House to remind Americans that undocumented workers provide most of their Thanksgiving Day food and to call on Obama to make sure farm workers are covered in the executive order.

Obama will address the nation on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST. The White House distributed a video along with the announcement. (See link.)

United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, left, and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., address the crowd at today's rally. (Obama Foodorama/Eddie Gehman Kohan)

Obama’s promised executive action should be as “the most inclusive executive action possible,” United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez said as he stood behind a table arrayed with fruits and vegetables picked by undocumented workers, and turkeys processed by them.

In an interview, Rodriguez said that the number of farm workers who find relief from the threat of deportation will depend on how long undocumented workers will have to have been living in the United States to qualify for the program Obama announces.

Farm workers are often recent arrivals, he noted, which means that the UFW favors a short residency qualifying period.

Rodriguez said it’s likely that some farm workers would qualify for relief if Obama includes a provision that would allow the parents of children born in the United States to remain in this country. He noted that many children of farm workers qualified under the program that allows the students known as “Dreamers” to stay in the United States.

Rodriguez said Thanksgiving food “will come to American tables” through the labor and exploitation of farm workers. He also noted that much American wine comes from grapes picked by undocumented farm workers.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said that he is tired of being interviewed on television by journalists who leave the set and drink Chardonnay made from grapes picked by the undocumented workers.

Undocumented farm workers are found in the most remote parts of the country working in slaughterhouses “because they found a place to work,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said his message to Obama is “don’t forget the farm workers. Be bold, be generous and be quick.”

The UFW also said it was holding rallies today in the following California cities: Bakersfield, Fresno, Oxnard, Salinas, Santa Rosa, Stockton and Hermiston.

Farm employers have expressed dissatisfaction with Congress over the lack of congressional action on immigration reform, but they are divided over whether to support executive action, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

White House Immigration Action (Video)