A Washington Post investigative story about a Postville, IA meatpacking plant Agri Star exposes the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on frontline workers, many of them immigrants. The story reveals that too many policymakers and business owners seem callous at best and engaged in dangerous disinformation at worst. The company stated that it undertook extensive effort… Continue »
A recording of the call is available here Earlier today, experts and activists gathered on a call to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on frontline workers critical to the food supply chain. The closing of Smithfield’s pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has put a spotlight on the dangers facing workers in… Continue »
The tale of two governors captures where we are in America as we confront the coronavirus crisis. From day one, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has been assertive, bold, and successful in saving tens of thousands of lives. Yesterday, he kept at it, announcing a $125 million public-private fund to support undocumented immigrants in the state.… Continue »
April 14, 2020
By jeopardizing immigrant security, he jeopardizes American food security Yesterday we learned of a major South Dakota meatpacking plant closing down due to an outbreak of infections among the workers. Just like that, 5% of the nation’s pork supply was gone. This comes on top of the agricultural industry worries over labor shortages. Against a… Continue »
More and more observers are recognizing the essential role that farmworkers play in keeping food on America’s tables and the essential role that immigrants play in the farmworker workforce and agricultural industry. Yet as this recognition grows, the Trump administration is disconcertingly seeking to slash wages for farmworkers and keep them out of the ongoing… Continue »
As observers highlight the essential contributions of frontline immigrant workers such as farmworkers, the sad irony is that many of these same immigrant workers are risking their own health to keep our food supply functioning while being mostly excluded from policymakers’ efforts to ensure healthcare access and stimulate and stabilize the economy. This has led… Continue »
From agricultural workers to healthcare professionals, immigrant workers are again proving themselves as an indispensable, skilled part of our national effort to combat and contain COVID-19 – despite ongoing anxieties over their immigration status and being largely excluded from economic stimulus and stabilization efforts thus far. But as Wall Street Journal columnist (and former Reagan… Continue »
April 3, 2020
More Recognition of Essential Contributions of Immigrants in Our Time of Crisis More observers and leading voices are recognizing that immigrants’ contributions to Covid-19 response and containment efforts are essential. We’re all in this fight together and all of us should be grateful for immigrants at this moment. Among the key voices: New York Times… Continue »
Reminders that Immigrant Farmworkers Are Helping All of Us Public health experts are clear that all of us in America need to come together and support each other at this time. All of us means all of us. Across many industries and many sectors, often overlooked workers from all walks of life are becoming the… Continue »
Trump Keeps Eye on Fall Election; Bashing Immigrants Central to His Plan As the lethal COVID-19 crisis spreads, more Americans are beginning to recognize the essential role immigrant workers play in our response. They are critical to the work of growing and distributing our food, cleaning hot spots, and delivering life-saving healthcare. Meanwhile, Trump, Stephen… Continue »
