With talks around immigration reform resuming, the discussions on how to manage immigration, especially for guest workers, are complicated. Farmers say that more temporary workers are needed on farms. But for others, the use of temporary labor leads to abuses of the workers and competition with other workers. They're advocating for a plan that includes a way for workers to become citizens. About 70,000 workers a year come into the country via a temporary federal visa. The program has been criticized as being hard to use and expensive. Both sides say that the point is to create something that works for all those involved.
See "The biggest challenge to immigration bill may be guest workers", Franco Ordonez, Kansas City Star, November 20, 2012