U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue speaks at an event to celebrate the re-introduction of American beef imports to China, in Beijing, China June 30, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Schiefelbein/Pool

ARLINGTON, Va. (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said on Thursday the government wants a separate immigration program for agricultural workers.

Speaking on the first day of the annual USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum, he said agriculture is caught in the crossfire of the immigration debate. “The people who come to America to work on farms and ranches are not taking jobs from Americans,” Perdue said. “They are not the ones putting a burden on criminal justice system or welfare system.”