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Farmers: Harvest raids are badly timed
By CARA ANNA
Associated Press Writer
September 10, 2006, 11:02 AM EDT
ALBANY, N.Y. -- U-pick strawberry fans called Coulter Farms this summer and heard this recorded message: "Help! We need help!"
An immigration raid just before the harvest started had taken all but four of the farm's migrant workers. Suddenly, 78-year-old Jim Coulter found himself 10 people short with 20,000-plus quarts to pick.
He had two weeks before the berries would go bad.
So the farm in Lockport, 20 miles north of Buffalo, asked its pick-your-own customers for the extra hands. Neighbors sent help but in the end, the farm couldn't finish the harvest. Coulter said he was down at least $20,000.
"We may be a nonprofit organization, but we don't plan it that way," he said tartly.
The New York Farm Bureau says increasing immigration raids have made this year the most challenging ever for farm labor _ and as the harvest approaches, raids are terribly timed.
Farmers, including Coulter, gave Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton an earful last week at the state fair. And a month ago, farm bureau staff met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in western New York to complain.
"They promised they wouldn't go on farms unless there was a violation or a disruption off the farm," said bureau president John Lincoln, who has two Guatemalan workers on his Canandaigua farm. "But even the presence of immigration is a problem in itself."
Farmers say that as the country debates tougher immigration enforcement, the government is under pressure to show it's doing its job.
A U.S. Department of Labor survey in 2001 and 2002 said 53 percent of the country's 1.8 million crop workers weren't authorized to work here. But workers often show up with seemingly real documents, frustrating farmers.
Recent raids include one that picked up 20 workers from a Rochester-area vegetable farm, and one last month that picked up 34 workers at a tomato greenhouse north of Buffalo. Those were the larger raids.
Earlier this year, the farm bureau sent an alert to its 35,000-plus members about immigration raids and told them not to talk to the media about them. "It is a reasonable assumption that some of these employers have been targeted due to comments made in local papers," the alert said.
The ICE spokesman for the Northeast region bristled at the suggestion of retaliation.
"That is of course incorrect," Michael Gilhooly said. "As far as timing, when we reach a point in our investigation, we conduct an operation." He would not comment further.
Statistics on this year's raids would not be compiled and publicly released until the federal government's fiscal year ends Sept. 30, he added.
So the farm bureau collects farmers' stories instead.
Like the one from Rodney Brown of Clifton Springs, about 30 miles southeast of Rochester. On Aug. 28, no one came to work at his dairy barn. He went to the home of his Mexican workers, a mile away on his property, and found it empty. Finally he reached a worker on his cell phone and learned ICE had come at milking time, 6 a.m., and taken six men.
Brown said he'd been using Mexican workers since 1999, with no problems. Two of the workers had been with him since the beginning.
"I have no idea what happened," he said. "They weren't migrants. They were friends and employees. They were becoming part of the community. Three were going to school for English classes."
And their papers said they were legal. But you never know for sure, Brown said, echoing other farmers and the farm bureau itself.
The raid left Brown, 46, and some borrowed help from neighbors scrambling to milk almost 600 cows.
"Our harvest season is every day," he said.
Last week, Coulter and other farmers got the chance to complain to Clinton and ask for a new guest worker program that ensures clearly legal workers.
But Coulter is taking a tougher message to his fellow Republicans. He used to donate to politicians, but this year he quit.
"When you people get your act together, I'll start helping," he said. He paused. "I don't know how else to get their attention."
Joined: Jun 01, 2006 Posts: 12391 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:
Quote:
"They promised they wouldn't go on farms unless there was a violation or a disruption off the farm," said bureau president John Lincoln, who has two Guatemalan workers on his Canandaigua farm.
Who promised? Is this guy suggesting that someone in the federal government told him it was okay to break the law? If he wasn't beaking the law by hiring illegal immigrants what would he have to fear?
Quote:
But Coulter is taking a tougher message to his fellow Republicans. He used to donate to politicians, but this year he quit.
"When you people get your act together, I'll start helping," he said. He paused. "I don't know how else to get their attention."
Perhaps it is you Mr. Coulter that should get YOUR act together!
Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 3903 Location: Miami, Florida
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:04 pm Post subject:
Let the farmers learn the hard way, if thats what it takes. I just hope we do not end up paying more due to their greed. They are well aware of their illegal activity so let them learn the consequences. Asset forfeiture must be enacted as soon as possible. As for the greedy farmers, getting their employees visas will cost them money and they may have to pay them more meaning less profit.
Joined: Jan 23, 2006 Posts: 1386 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:53 pm Post subject:
I've mentioned this before, but it warrants another. Farm Bureau along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerse are doing everything possible to push increased immigration and a guest worker program. I cancelled my car insurance that I had with them, due to their support of our enemies. I hope anyone else who is a customer of Farm Bureau will do the same. _________________ REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!
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