Published October 08, 2008
Washington will check farm workers' documents



Washington state officials have agreed to screen potential farm hands for immigration violations before referring them to jobs.

The move comes after the federal government threatened to cut millions of dollars from a program that matches workers with jobs. The screening begins Jan. 1.

The dispute centers on the federal H-2A guest-worker program, which allows farmers to recruit workers from foreign countries if they can prove there is a shortage of legal, local workers.

http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/612146.html