Dive Summary:
- As legislators work towards an immigration reform bill, dairy farmers, particularly those from New York state, where a major part of the dairy industry is located, fear the legislation will not address their concerns.
- As dairy farms operate year-round, the current agriculture guest worker program does not meet dairy farmers' needs.
- Dairy farmers also cited concerns about heavy-handed enforcement of immigration laws as federal audits are forcing farmers to dismiss undocumented workers, essentially leaving them without a labor force.
From the article:
"... While the states bordering Mexico typically draw most of the attention in the discussion over illegal immigration, the Obama administration has also stepped up enforcement along the Canadian border. At the same time, the administration has shifted its strategy of curbing illegal employment from an emphasis on workplace raids to subtler tactics like audits of employment records.
While the heightened enforcement has been felt throughout the agricultural communities of upstate New York, the dairy farmers said this pressure had been acute for them because their farms are concentrated close to the border. Under the law, agents from the federal Customs and Border Protection agency can patrol within 100 miles of any border. ..."
