NORTHSTATE, Calif. -- Congressman Doug LaMalfa, a Republican from Butte County and a rice farmer, has voiced his stance on immigration policies amid rising national tensions. LaMalfa's district relies heavily on migrant agricultural workers, yet he believes undocumented immigrants should pay restitution as a condition for obtaining legal status.

The Trump administration's promise of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants has raised concerns about potential labor shortages in industries like agriculture, which often depend on migrant workers. LaMalfa said the administration has plans to address these gaps.

"American jobs need to be held by Americans too, and so agriculture folks are really concerned about this right now," LaMalfa said. "I want to be able to convey to the administration we actually had legislation two different times that passed the House that I was a part of to get ag workers to a legal status -- not necessarily just handing them citizenship or all the benefits that people pay into, but a legal status so they can be here and do the work."

LaMalfa explained that the process for obtaining legal status would involve vetting individuals based on "good standing" and requiring them to pay restitution for being undocumented. When asked about comprehensive immigration reform that could lead to citizenship, he said reform was unnecessary, though he acknowledged the process should be easier.

"It's a terrible process for how to become a citizen in this country for how long it takes," LaMalfa said. "In a lot of cases, you have to hire attorneys and pay lots of money. It should be very cut and dry, like with any permit that you would seek from the government, to be easy to do. It's up to us to decide how many new citizens we want each year."

LaMalfa suggested the government should consider how many people the country can absorb and select individuals who provide a skill set and loyalty to the country.

"All we have ever asked is to go through a legal process of applying, whether you are going through a student visa, a tourist visa, or a work visa," he said. "There is a legal process, and then the individual is much better off in a legal situation instead of coming across or abusing the asylum system and saying, 'Oh, I'm here because of oppression,' when really they are here for economic opportunity."

Currently, many asylum seekers looking to enter the country are stalled due to policies from both the Trump and Biden administrations.