The wonder of our nation is that it was built by immigrants, for immigrants, in the name of democracy. The horror is the hate and discrimination that bubbles up against them, especially against the poorest of the working poor who toil in the fields to put food on our table and money into our economy. In Michigan, 45 crops are harvested with migrant labor, mostly of Mexican ancestry. Those crops have a market value of 11.2 billion dollars.
Despite perceptions, most migrants in Michigan work legally. Even undocumented workers pay taxes using the w-9 form the IRS set up for them, and have paid over 500 billion dollarsinto Social Security, as documented by the government. But rather than hospitality, immigrant Latino families experience hostility: from some state workers, some law enforcement officers, some state and federal agencies, and even from some judges. Many migrants have been arrested without cause, due to mistaken identity, computer error, or bigotry. They often face barriers to resources such as child care, education, transportation, and social services.
These families suffer frequent indignities from mistreatment, poor working conditions, pesticide exposure, lack of portable bathrooms or overfull outhouses. Their housing can be deplorable, with overflowing sewage, exposed wiring, no hot water, rodent infestation, broken steps, overcrowded and condemned, with structurally unsound floors and roofs.
They are frequently underpaid, cheated out of minimum wage by various schemes, and often suffer in silence out of fear of retaliation. The average family earns $12,000 year, and their meager incomes are vulnerable to changes in temperatures, rainfall, storms, and crop schedules. When the crops are ready, speedy picking is the key to survival, necessitating 15 hour days, 7 days per week, and all hands in the fields. The urgency of the work and extreme poverty of the families leads to child labor issues that interfere with their education and health. No time off, no vacation pay and no sick days, because if you’re not picking, you’re losing money.
Michigan farm owners have challenges of their own in this economy: to make payroll, pay vendors, find workers, maintain housing, and access local resources. Our agricultural industry depends on farmers, and they, in turn, rely on the proven work-ethic and experience of farmworkers to harvest their crops before they rot.
It’s time we recognize the importance of the industry and create policies that support the growers and workers, including immigration reform like the bipartisan bill known as AgJOBS now before the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The solution is laid out in the bill: allow workers with a proven history in agriculture to earn, over years, lawful status, and allow workers with visas from other countries. This guarantees growers a solid work force without opening any flood gates to encourage illegal immigration. It’s the smart, best, and most humane thing we can do for the industry that gives us our food.
Attorney Teresa Hendricks is the director and chief litigator of the Michigan Migrant Legal Aid program.
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