Jerry Spencer had an idea after Alabama's tough new law against illegal immigration scared Hispanic workers out of the tomato fields northeast of Birmingham: Recruit unemployed U.S. citizens to do the work, give them free transportation and pay them to pick the fruit and clean the fields. Continue »
Toiling methodically in a vast green orchard, Saintasia Elysee reaches into the branches of dwarf apple trees and pulls out rosy winesaps. Her husband, Kenol Laurent, drives a tractor that lifts the heavy bins of harvested fruit. Continue »
Another day, another series of articles highlighting the devastating effects of Alabama's immigration law. This self-inflicted wound is already wreaking havoc on the state's reputation and economic output. Continue »
Last week, we wrote about our Spanish language radio station ad campaign against E-Verify, sponsored by America's Voice Education fund and Service Employees International Union. This week, we want to show off our new print ad, run by La Opinión in districts represented by E-Verify advocates Reps. Elton... Continue »
How can there be a labor shortage when nearly one out of every 11 people in the nation are unemployed? That's the question John Harold asked himself last winter when he was trying to figure out how much help he would need to harvest the corn and onions on... Continue »
"My name is Reynaldo Arevalo. I'm a citizen of this country and I've worked as a mushroom picker for more than 20 years. We are human beings and we should be treated as such." These are lines from an ad that will air on Spanish-language radio in key California... Continue »
Between talk-radio blather and election-season bravado, it's easy to have an opinion about immigration, and easier to forget that people—actual people—pick our food. Now and then we might glimpse them out the car window, but few of us realize that what we eat depends on them, and fewer still... Continue »
It's an issue that has farmers fired up, and many wondering what will happen to Alabama's produce industry. "If we can't get the food out of the ground and to the store then it goes to waste," says one farmer. "I guess they'll have to arrest me here in... Continue »
A hotly contested bill moving this week would compel employers to verify worker eligibility via the Internet while it ratchets up the nation's perennial immigration debate. Farmers fear it. Skeptics sweat potential errors. But in the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee, mandatory E-Verify is now an idea whose time has... Continue »
Farmers in one of Alabama's leading agricultural areas asked legislators Monday to make emergency changes to the state's tough new law against illegal immigration, saying millions of dollars of crops are at risk in coming weeks because of a sudden lack of hands for harvest. Continue »