Bangladesh, July 23 -- A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the US House of Representatives has introduced legislation that would significantly reshape immigration policy for agricultural workers, reigniting one of the most contentious debates in American politics. The proposal, backed by dozens of Republican lawmakers alongside a handful of Democrats, seeks to expand the H-2A agricultural guest worker program while offering legal status to many undocumented farmworkers already employed in the sector.

Supporters argue that the measure addresses a long-standing labor shortage threatening American agriculture, while critics contend that it amounts to a broad legalization program that could reward unlawful employment and weaken immigration e...