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Feds scrutinize dairy farms in sweep for illegal aliens
By Kathryn Flagg
ADDISON COUNTY — Dozens of Vermont dairy farmers found themselves in the
crosshairs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thursday
when the agency rolled out its largest ever audit of employers in a
crackdown on businesses shirking laws about employing foreign workers.
Reports Friday from the Addison County Migrant Workers Coalition and
other farmers indicated that perhaps only four or five farms in the
state would be issued subpoenas for employment records, though initial
reports about the audits placed that number much higher.
The Vermont Department of Agriculture on Thursday said ICE had targeted
at least 86 farms for inspection, and the advocacy group Dairy Farmers
Working Together reported between 86 and 100 farms were being issued
subpoenas.
Vermont dairy farms employ as many as 2,000 foreign-born laborers — most
from Mexico. Many Mexican dairy laborers have been prosecuted for
entering the country without proper documentation or for overstaying
their visas. Migrant worker advocates estimate as many as 500 migrant
laborers work in Addison County.
“I’m sure that every dairy farmer in the state is probably wondering if
they’re going to be next,” said Cornwall dairy farmer John Roberts, who
said the lack of information about the audit was leaving many farms in
limbo.
ICE is requiring businesses to turn over payroll records and I-9 forms
within four days. The I-9 requires employers to review and record each
worker’s identity and work eligibility documents.
The Vermont subpoenas were part of a 1,000-business sweep nationwide.
According to ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton, the audit — which is
the largest I-9 audit in the country’s history — targeted businesses in
the country’s “critical infrastructure.”
“By that I mean sectors of business that are particularly important to
our way of life,” said Morton during a Thursday afternoon
teleconference. Such sectors included food and agriculture, as well as
energy facilities, nuclear plants, water treatment and emergency
services.
Morton said the audit was meant to “even the playing field for employers
that play by the rules,” and illustrated ICE’s commitment both to
enforcing federal employment law and protecting work opportunities for
legal residents.
But Roberts, as well as Bridport dairy farmer Marie Audet, pointed out
that many dairy farms in Vermont rely on migrant laborers to stay in
operation. Roberts said that, in many cases, migrant laborers fill jobs
that Americans aren’t willing to take, even during a down economy. At
his own farm, Roberts said he’s employed many local workers over the
years, but he’s gone through them “hand over fist.”
“People don’t want to work weekends,” he said. “They don’t want to work
long hours.”
In dairy farming, he went on, that’s unavoidable. The animals’ wellbeing
requires someone to be caring for the cows around the clock.
Audet and Roberts also both said that the immigration audits come at a
disastrous time for many dairy farmers, when dairy producers are
enduring some of the lowest milk prices they’ve ever received.
“This increased immigration enforcement activity threatens the viability
of farm businesses,” said Audet. “We need a qualified pool of labor
available year round … (This is) like getting kicked in the teeth when
you’re already down.”
Morton said Thursday that every business served an audit during the
sweep was selected because investigative leads indicated employers may
have broken employment laws.
The audits also indicate the department’s shift in attention from
employee raids to focusing on employers.
“If we find that you are knowingly violating the law, we’re going to
investigate you and we’re going to prosecute you if we can,” Morton
said.
But the audits, according to Roberts, seemed only to illustrate the
disconnect on immigration policy between the Obama administration,
Congress and bureaucrats in the field. He hoped the audit might act as
motivation for lawmakers to consider immigration reform.
“If all the illegal immigrants disappeared overnight in this country,
this country’s economy would come to a grinding halt,” Roberts said. “I
just hope that maybe this will be a cattle prod to the administration
and to Congress to look seriously at reforming this system.”
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