California’s rural communities are bracing for impact as President Trump’s administration launches mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. The state is home to nearly 900,000 farmworkers, with half being undocumented.
Farmworker Gerardo Reyes, a naturalized U.S. citizen, expressed concern for his fellow workers who lack citizenship. Reyes noted that some undocumented workers use fake social security numbers bought on the black market, bypassing the necessary hiring process.
The U.S. government has introduced E-Verify to verify IDs, but California’s law prohibits private businesses from using it due to concerns over costs and accuracy. Experts argue that E-Verify doesn’t address underlying issues such as low wages and lack of worker welfare.
Federation for American Immigration Reform spokesperson Ira Mehlman stated that the solution lies in making clear that breaking laws has consequences, without compromising on deportation policies. However, critics point out that no exceptions will be made, and deporting all undocumented individuals is not a viable solution.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/california-farmworker-explains-how-undocumented-immigrants-find-work