SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Luz Ramirez longs for a day when she can visit her mother in Mexico. The two haven’t connected in-person for 23 years.
During that time, Ramirez, an undocumented immigrant, has worked in the Central Valley fields picking strawberries and cherries while also fearing deportation. But the years she’s spent in the fields may soon allow Ramirez to return to her homeland and see her mother once again.
She is among the estimated 5 million undocumented workers across the U.S. that would be eligible for a pathway to citizenship under a new proposal by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. The legislation targets individuals who worked in sectors —that include farm workers like Ramirez — deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.
